Link's Little Brother
by Xigo
Summary: For new readers (since it's messy) first read chapters 7-18, that's Link's Little Brother, the main story, then read 1-6, and then 19 and so on, that's the epilogue. Everybody who reads pleeeeeease try to review since I'm almost done.
1. Epilogue Mirren's Final Battle

Link's Little Brother  
Epilogue  
Mirren's Final Battle  
By Jeff Pawlak  
  
Author's Notes Hey, it's LittleLink once again. As you all can probably tell, I'm the one who wrote the Zelda story- Link's Little Brother. First thank you all who read it, and for those of you who read the ending author notes, you've noticed that I said I was typing a very long epilogue to it. Well I worked my butt off once again to type another great Zelda tale and this is it. It's shorter than the real story (that'd be rather odd if the epilogue was longer than the real story) but it's still an excellent piece. Also if you read the ending author notes in my big story, you'd know a little more about this (spoilers in a way) so at least you don't go into the story without knowing a little bit about it. The title says a little, but not as much as what I said before. And remember, read the real story first, you'll get a better understanding of this story then. I'm not summarizing anything! Finally I wanna say I'm dedicating this to all my best buds. John G, John P, Tony, Natalie, Victoria, and shike77 again. This one's for you guys, you're the best encouragers a kid could get!  
  
Chapter 1  
An Approaching Birthday  
  
The sun was shining like no other over the peaceful kingdom of Hyrule. The wonderful land filled with numerous races was in a great time of peace. It had been a month since Mirren had defeated Ganondorf and Emralda, and now he was having a great time living at Hyrule Castle with all of his friends. He still kind of had his crush on Zelda, but he felt as if he was growing off it in a way. He still was very fond of her and thought she was pretty, but he wasn't totally in love with her like he had been. And Zelda had known all of this, but still was the same way to Mirren. The two felt very close to each other, almost in a way as if they were brother and sister. And they were starting to do a lot together considering that their birthdays were coming up. Believe it or not, Zelda and Mirren had the same exact birthday, and it was something that no one had ever expected. Zelda was to be 22, and Mirren was to be 12. They were both very excited about it, and the party was going to be great for them both. They both knew this was going to be the greatest birthday of their lives.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren soared through the clouds as he rode on top of his great golden dragon Goldenfire. They were both high up in the clouds, and were flying all over Hyrule as they flew back to Hyrule Castle. The wind rushed by Mirren and cooled him off. The wind blew straight into his face and made him feel good on the hot sunny day. He smiled happily as he spotted Hyrule Castle below on the ground. He made Goldenfire begin to fly down, and he was almost home.  
  
Goldenfire soared down to the castle like a dive bomb, going at an incredible speed through the sky down below. A great amount of wind rushed by Mirren now, and it just blew straight into his face and waved his hair back. It was like no other ride ever. Goldenfire soon stopped flying at the incredible speed, and landed in the Training Grounds.  
  
Mirren hopped off Goldenfire and let him fly away. He looked around the Training Grounds, almost as if he were expecting someone. Soon, Jarlis walked in with his grandfather's staff in hand, smiling.  
  
"Good ta see ya back" he said. Mirren smiled back and nodded.  
  
"Thanks, I'm glad I took a little flight around the place, gets me out" he replied. Jarlis laughed quietly.  
  
"Yeah, it got you out alright, for five hours, Zelda and Link are startin' ta worry" he spoke. Mirren then remembered that he told them he was only going to be out for a little while when he left.  
  
"Oh great" he said somewhat grimly, "well, this ain't gonna be easy..or pretty for that matter!" Jarlis laughed again.  
  
"And don't even think about having me do anything for, keep my outta this" he replied. Mirren now laughed.  
  
"Don't worry, but there's a red rupee in it for ya if you do help." he coaxed. Jarlis narrowed his eyes and smirked.  
  
"Are you tryin' ta bribe me Mirren?" he asked. Mirren now laughed again and Jarlis soon followed. They laughed and laughed until they began walking back into the castle. They walked through the many hallways and rooms as Jarlis showed Mirren where Zelda and Link were. They soon came to the feast hall's main door, and they both stood outside of it as Mirren thought of the scolding he'd most definitely get.  
  
"Ya know, I have that red rupee right in my wallet now."he began before Jarlis interrupted him as he put his hand up.  
  
"No chance Mirren, but I'll send ya a card when everything's over" he interrupted, and walked away as he laughed. Mirren watched him and smiled. He laughed quietly.  
  
"Man, even when he says something like that for a situation like this; ya can't help but laugh" he said to himself. He then turned to the door again. He put his hand on it, and gulped. He then opened the door, and walked in to see Zelda and Link just sitting at one of the tables. They seemed to just be sitting there waiting until they noticed him and stood up from their chairs. They both crossed their arms and looked at him through angry eyes, and Zelda also began tapping her foot as she waited for an answer from Mirren. He looked up at them, and looked ashamed.  
  
"Well Mirren, what do you have ta say for yourself?" asked Link.  
  
"Yes, I believe you told us you were only going out for a little bit; not five hours!" added Zelda. Mirren just looked down in shame of himself. He knew that they were right, and that he should've done as he said. He looked back up at them, and still looked the same way.  
  
"Sorry I was out longer than I said guys" he began, "I lost track of time and I guess I just totally forgot about everything. I should've tried to think of what I told you two, I mean, you guys are almost like my parents in a way. I should've had that respect for you two and listened to you as my authority. I won't do it again..I'm sorry." He still looked at them ashamed for what he did. Even with his true apology, they still just kind of glared at him. He realized they were still mad at him, and just put his head down in shame. As he looked down; Zelda and Link suddenly smiled. Zelda knelt down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and was a little surprised to see her smile.  
  
"Don't worry about it Mirren, just as long as you're safe, your apology works for us" she said. Mirren now began to smile back at her.  
  
"Yeah, we're not mad at all, we were just worried that you were hurt or lost" added Link, "but you're obviously fine, and that's all that matters. And besides, you had the guts and at least the intention of truly apologizing. So that easily makes us forgive you." Mirren looked up at his older brother. Link smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"Now run along, you can do whatever you want now, just keep your promises" Zelda spoke. Mirren turned to her and nodded with a smile.  
  
"No problem, I promise; for real this time" he replied. They both smiled at him as he turned around and ran off to do whatever he wanted. Zelda stood up, and Link put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. The two were still in love, but unfortunately they didn't feel as if they were boyfriend and girlfriend yet.  
  
"He's quite a kid, no one better than him to be my little brother" Link said. Zelda nodded.  
  
"Yes, he's such a sweet kid" she added, "but I still don't know what to get him. I mean, it'll be my birthday yes, but it'll also be his, and I'm sure he'll get me something. Link, do you have any ideas on what he would like?" Link thought of what Mirren liked and tried to think of something he didn't have yet. He thought of some weapons, but the Goddesses' Sword was a weapon that could never be replaced. He had already planned to get him a new bow, so he thought of something different for Zelda.  
  
"Well, I know he likes to read" he answered, "he has a small bookshelf in his room, and he's got a few books on there already. I guess a couple more novels and other tomes would please him..I think at least!" Zelda laughed a little.  
  
"Well at least that's something, but I'm sure someone else will get him those" she replied, "and besides, he'll probably get a lot of rupees off all of this, then he'll just buy his own. I wanna get him something special, something that no one else will get." Link now laughed himself.  
  
"I really don't know about that then Zelda" he said, "don't worry though. The birthday's about two weeks away, I'm sure you'll find something." Zelda smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, you're right" she spoke, "I'll find something he would like." They both smiled at each before Link broke away from their embracement.  
  
"Well I gotta go Zelda, I'm training with Taursus today, and I'm sure Mirren'll join in later" he said pointing his thumb to the door behind him. Zelda nodded.  
  
"Go ahead, and have fun" she replied with a smile. Link smiled back and left the feast hall to go train.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A little bit later at the Castle Training Grounds, Link was fighting Taursus as he told Zelda. They both had all of their weapons ready, and got into the battle area. Mirren, Jarlis, Mardera and Impa sat by the steps and were ready to watch the two friends fight.  
  
"Who do ya think'll win this one Impa?" asked Mardera. Impa looked at Link and Taursus and tried to think of who she thought would end up being victorious.  
  
"Well, even as a Sage I can't really tell ya" she answered, "Link has great speed and agility, and he's pretty strong too; but Taursus's strength is incredible and beats Link's by a mile. So I really have no idea." Mirren took a breath and lay on the steps. He smiled and put his hands behind his head.  
  
"Same here Impa, I'm also stumped on who'll win this one...if there's even a winner." he spoke. Everyone then focused back on Taursus and Link who were talking.  
  
"Good luck Link, and don't go easy on me at all, besides; I'll still beat ya" taunted Taursus with a grin. Link's eyes narrowed a little.  
  
"Tsk, you'll never beat me Taursus, even if your big ol' horns depended on it!" he spat back. The two friends then just stared at each other before letting out a laugh each. They laughed and laughed until Taursus noticed Mirren.  
  
"Hey Mirren, wanna train with us?" he yelled out to him. Mirren looked up at him a little surprised. He really thought that Taursus just wanted it him against Link, but apparently he wanted to have another fighter train with them. Mirren shrugged.  
  
"Sure, if ya guys really want me to." he replied. Link smiled and nodded.  
  
"Of course we want ya in this!" he shouted, "you'll make this battle even better!" Mirren smiled at his older brother and got up. He got off the steps and began walking over to them as he pulled the Goddesses' Sword from his back. He ran over to them and smiled up at them.  
  
"Well, I'm ready when you guys are."he said. Taursus and Link then looked at each other. They exchanged grins, and Mirren looked a little confused. He scratched his head, and wondered what the heck they were grinning about. Suddenly they both swung at him with their weapons and Mirren was just able to dodge them. He jumped back with a yell of surprise and fight.  
  
"Hey!" he yelled, "what's this all about!?" Link laughed.  
  
"It's a double team bro" he answered, "We wanna see how ya can do fighting us both at the same time."  
  
"But you're just as good as me, and Taursus is just as tough as us, I won't stand a chance!!!!!" he interrupted. Taursus now laughed also.  
  
"What, you're sayin' you guys are better than me?" he asked with a grin. Mirren gritted his teeth.  
  
"Yes ya cheap Minotaur!" he yelled back in anger that he was gonna be double-teamed, "ya know what..fine! Take me on!!!!!" Taursus grinned as Link backed up behind him.  
  
"You go first Taursus, I'll follow" he said. Taursus turned his head and nodded. At this exact moment, Link grinned. But he didn't grin at Taursus, instead it was for Mirren. He grinned back at his older brother and suddenly charged straight at Taursus. He pushed his shoulder out and rammed him straight in the chest. Taursus yelled in pain and was knocked flat. He crashed on the ground and Link immediately jumped down next to him and pointed the Master Sword at him.  
  
"I believe-me and Mirren won."he announced with a smile. Taursus's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Whaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!!?????"he yelled, "I thought you and me were fightin'!!?? What's this all about Link!? I wanna answer!!!" Mirren began laughing hysterically. Link could only grin.  
  
"Well Taursus, I figured you'd ask Mirren ta join us in our fight, so me and him decided to make it look like you and me were gonna fight, while really it was me and Mirren!" Everyone else then burst out in laughter as Mirren just rolled on the ground still laughing. Link now stood up and began to laugh with them. Taursus still looked around in complete confusion of everything before standing up and laughing quietly himself.  
  
"Well, that truly was a great tactic."he began normally as he crossed his arms, "you guys really had me fooled. I would've never had expected that.." Taursus's eyes then lit up with anger. ".You two are dead!!!!" he screamed and dived at Link and Mirren. Link's eyes widened in fear and he yelled a little from fright. He was just able to evade Taursus and grab Mirren by the back of his green turtleneck. He began running out of the Training Grounds as he still held onto Mirren and laughed. Mirren looked upside down through his legs and laughed at Taursus who was still trying to catch Link. Everyone else watching also laughed.  
  
"Those two are the greatest brother's I've seen in my life.." Impa said to herself in her head.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Taursus never got the chance to get any revenge on Mirren and Link. While he was still very fast, Link's speed beat his by a mile and escaped with Mirren. They had both ran for quite some time before Taursus finally just gave up and let them have the last laugh. They both went into one of the courtyards and began training by themselves.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link went for a vertical slash...but Mirren lifted up the Goddesses' Sword and blocked the attack. He jumped back as Link went for a stab and missed. Mirren then at him and slashed him across the face. Link grunted in pain and was knocked sideways a few feet. Mirren rested for the moment as Link wiped away the blood on his cheek.  
  
"Nice attack" he complimented with a smile, "quick, powerful..but nothing like this one.." Link then rushed at him in the blink of an eye and did a cut across his upper chest. Mirren yelled in pain and clutched his bleeding wound. He groaned in pain as Link twirled the Master Sword around with his hand and grinned.  
  
"Come on bro, you can't just go down like that.." He stated. Mirren looked up and his brother and slowly got up. He wiped his blood-covered hand on the grass and stood fully up. Link smiled at him now and Mirren got in a battle position.  
  
"You want a real attack from me Link?" he inquired with fierce eyes, "...you got it!" He then jumped at Link and sent the quickest, most powerful slash ever right at his face. Link's eyes bugged out in fear and shock as the blade came flying at his face. He jerked his head back just in time as the sacred blade flew by. He just stood there still amazed with the attack as Mirren gritted his teeth.  
  
"Darn!" he yelled, "I only got your hair!" Link now looked a little confused.  
  
"My hair?" he asked, "what in the world do ya..." Suddenly a few stands of blonde hair just fell off of Link's head and floated down to the ground. Link stared at them with surprise before he finally looked up at the angry Mirren. "Whoa..." he muttered. Seeing he just literally put him in a trance of shock; Mirren took the advantage of Link and charged at him for a stab. Link was just able to snap out of it in time and lift up his mirror shield to block Mirren's attack. The blade smashed into the shining shield, and Link went for his own stab.  
  
Mirren had no way to evade it, not to mention he couldn't block it with his sword. He quickly tried to think of a way to stop the attack. He looked around to see something that he could block with. He then noticed his knapsack on the side of his belt. He reached out, unhooked it, and held it out. He did all of this in a matter of seconds and was able to block Link's stab with the sack. The Master Sword went straight through it, but didn't even come close to hitting Mirren. Link smiled and pulled his sword back.  
  
"Nice job" he complimented, "thinking on your feet and being able to succeed..impressive" Mirren smiled back.  
  
"Yeah, I guess at times I can be a pretty good improviser." he added. Link then looked down at the knapsack and began giggling. Mirren looked at him a little confused. "What's up bro?" he asked. Link now burst out into laughter and dropped his weapons as he held his stomach from his continuous laughter.  
  
"Look at what was inside of that thing!" he said laughing as he pointed to the knapsack. Mirren looked a little surprised, but still looked. He opened it up, and pulled out his now torn Goron Tunic. Link kept on laughing as Mirren just stared at it. He put his hand on his forehead and shook his head.  
  
"Well, this one ain't getting' fixed" he spoke, "torn completely..and I look good in red; darn it!" Link now kind of stopped laughing.  
  
"Why don't you just go buy another one in Goron City?" he asked. Mirren looked up at him through irritated eyes.  
  
"'Cause they're two-hundred rupees each" he answered sounding irritated also, "not to mention I still need to get a Zelda a gift for her birthday; I just have the cash!" Link now looked at the wrecked Goron Tunic again and just began laughing as hard as ever. Mirren could only grit his teeth.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Zelda had watched everything from around the corner. She saw the entire battle, she heard everything they said, and saw the wrecked Goron Tunic. She laughed a little as she saw Link laughing and Mirren's somewhat angry face.  
  
"Well, at least I finally know of a gift to get him.." she whispered to herself.  
  
Author's Notes: This is only the beginning of one heck of a sequel! There's soooooo much more coming in the next chapters, and I promise this thing'll be just as great as the original..heck, it may be even better! But that's not my decision, it's yours! Please review and tell me what ya think!  
LittleLink 


	2. Epilogue Chapter 2: A Plan Brewing

Chapter 2  
A Plan Brewing  
  
Deep within the land of Herlassia, a great evil was coming back to life. Right within the great tower of Emralda's citadel, the greatest evil ever was coming back. A great portal had appeared in the throne room of the citadel, and it was glowing with massive power. Suddenly, a yell from a man was heard. There was a great flash of golden power, and a great deal of energy came pouring out of the portal. After a few long minutes of this, Ganondorf, the Scourge of Hyrule, jumped out of the portal in his black and blue armor and shoulder-length red hair. The second his body touched the floor, the portal disappeared. He lay on the ground breathing heavily from exhaustion, for what he just pulled off was like no other thing. He was incredibly tired, but slowly got up. He still stood there panting for a few more moments before he began to quietly laugh.  
  
"Well, I've done it" he announced to himself, "I've come back from the afterlife! I'm no longer dead; I'm alive, just as I was when I fought Mirren here in the tower. I may have lost that time; but this time it'll be different! I won't lose this time!" Ganondorf now took a pause before thinking of another thing. He smiled sinisterly.  
  
"But I can't forget my dear sister..." he said. He lifted up his hands, and screamed. He gave off a ton of energy, and the Triforce of Power glowed on his hand. Soon the portal opened up once again, and in a few minutes, Emralda came out of it. The second she did, Ganondorf stopped and walked over to her. She slowly opened her eyes, and looked around in confusion. She did this until she finally saw Ganondorf. Her eyes lit up, and she instantly got up.  
  
"My brother!" she exclaimed. Ganondorf smiled and nodded.  
  
"I'm just as happy to see you Emralda" he replied.  
  
"Oh Ganondorf I can't believe this!" she began, "we're alive again!" Ganondorf now smirked.  
  
"Not without my help" he said, "we wouldn't be here at all had I not used the remaining energy in the Triforce of Power." Emralda looked a little confused again.  
  
"What are you talking about my brother?" she asked. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"Well, when I was fighting that Mirren in our last battle, I had used the Triforce of Power to power-up my dark bolt" he began, "I was at full power then, and I knew I was going to win. But then that kid brought out the Triforce of Justice; and I knew I was done for. So at the last second, I lessened the power I was using in the Triforce of Power..and that power was what I used to revive us.." Emralda's mouth dropped. She couldn't believe the strategy her brother had used! They were both alive; and could finally get their revenge on Mirren.  
  
"This is great my brother, but what is that plan for Mirren?" she asked. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"Well, I'd say it's the best one ever" he replied, "you know that his and Zelda's birthday is coming up in about a week, so I say we do everything on the day right before it. My plan is to first capture all of the Sages, so we can take their energy and become even more powerful. Then we capture Zelda and Link, and take their Triforces from them to give us another incredible power boost. Also we'll take those three other friends of Mirren. They're each equally strong, and will give us substantial power. With their power, the Sages power, and three pieces of the Triforce in our possession, we'll literally be invincible. Then we'll let Mirren come to us to try and save everyone; and this time he'll only have the Goddesses to help him, but we'll be even stronger than them! With Mirren and his friends dead, we can finish off the Sages, Zelda, and Link. The birthday will be ruined, and we'll be the most invincible duo in Hyrule. It's not just about Mirren anymore; it's about conquering Hyrule, and finally killing Link, Zelda, and the Sages. No one will stop us this time..not even Mirren..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren sat in his room counting up his rupees. He poured every one out of his wallet onto his bed and counted each and every one. There were green rupees, blue rupees, red rupees, purple rupees, and even one golden rupee. After a little bit of counting, he had a grand total of seven hundred rupees.  
  
"Hmmm...not bad" Mirren said to himself in his mind, "I think that'll be enough. I gotta get Zelda something good for this birthday, and these days here in Hyrule something good equals expensive. Well, I'll betcha she'd like new clothes or something; but everyone else will probably get her stuff like that. I gotta get a really nice dress; I wonder what colors she likes? I've see her wear that pink dress a lot, so that's outta the question. Hmm...I never knew shopping could be so tough! Well, I'll look for something, but then I'll get one more thing..." Mirren then thought of a beautiful golden necklace with a ruby in the center he had seen at a shop in Kakariko Village. It was very expensive, five hundred rupees to be exact, but he still wanted to get it for her. He made a promise to himself that he'd do his best to make this the best birthday ever for Zelda.  
  
Suddenly he heard the door open. He began to put his rupees away normally as Link walked in.  
  
"Hey bro, what's up?" he asked.  
  
"Just countin' up my rupees" Mirren answered without even turning to him.  
  
"So, how many do ya have?" Link asked again. Mirren just kind of froze then. If he really told Link how many he had, then it would be obvious that he would have enough to buy a Goron Tunic. Then, it would also show that Mirren was buying something really good for Zelda's birthday, and that would lead to Link finding out Mirren's secret! Mirren instantly and in a flash swiped away the golden rupee and two of the purple rupees, and luckily Link didn't notice it.  
  
"About four hundred" he answered. Link then walked over to Mirren.  
  
"That's not that bad, you should be able to get Zelda something nice for her birthday with that" he spoke. Mirren just fell against his bed with his arms out wide.  
  
"One problem though, I have no idea what to get her!" he replied. Link laughed a little.  
  
"Yeah, I was also at first a little stuck on that" he began, "but if you really think about it, she's not that hard to shop for. I think I know something you could get her.." Mirren now sat up.  
  
"And what's that?" he asked. Link smiled.  
  
"She really wants a new dress, but she can't find one in the color she wants." Link answered before Mirren interrupted him.  
  
"What color's that?" he asked.  
  
"Dark blue" he answered, "she likes it, but she can't find a perfect dress like that. If you were to get one like that, you'd get her one of the greatest gifts for her birthday..." Mirren smiled back and nodded.  
  
"Thanks bro" he said, "hey, what are you getting' her?" Link grinned and turned away.  
  
"It'll be a surprise, I can't tell ya" he answered, "you'll see at the big party for the both of you. Besides, little midget kids shouldn't even butt into my business.." Mirren gritted his teeth.  
  
"Did you just say what I thought you just said?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Link smirked.  
  
"What? That you're a little wimp kid and is as big as a speck?" he taunted. Mirren's eyes lit up with anger. He gritted his teeth even more.  
  
"That's it bro you're done!" he yelled, and lunged at Link. Link tried to turn around in time, but Mirren crashed right into him and knocked him flat. Mirren then jumped up and did a splash onto him. He landed right on Link, and began smacking his head. Link gritted his teeth in frustration and kicked Mirren in the stomach. Mirren's eyes widened in pain, and Link kicked him again over into the wall. Mirren smacked into it pretty hard, and grunted in pain. Link then got up and cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Ya know what Mirren, you need some training" he said. Mirren looked up at him even though his stomach and back was now killing him.  
  
"What the heck are you talkin' about bro?" he asked sounding a little cross. Link grinned.  
  
"You need to learn how to fight with your own fists and feet Mirren" he answered, "at times in your life you won't have your weapon to fight with, so then you gotta go with your own body. And after that little disaster of an attack of yours you obviously need to learn how to fight." Mirren gritted his teeth and got up holding his chest with one hand and his back with the other.  
  
"I don't need any fist-fightin' training" he spat back, "I wasn't made for brute strength unless you were too stupid to know. I'm too small, I can't fight.." Link laughed and smirked.  
  
"Let's not forget you're too weak also!" he exclaimed. Mirren's eyes filled up with anger once again. Link then ran out of the room and began running through the whole castle. Mirren immediately began chasing after him as he just thought of finally beating the crud out of his brother. They both ran throughout the whole castle as Link taunted Mirren again and again. Soon Link ran into one of the courtyards, and suddenly stopped. Mirren ran at him, and lunged at him. Link this time turned around in time and caught Mirren by the shoulder. He spun around, and tossed him. Mirren yelled a little, and crashed into the ground. He groaned in pain and lifted up his head. He spat some saliva out of his mouth and glared at Link, who had his fists up in a fighting position.  
  
"Come on Mirren, bring it!" he yelled. Mirren sneered and got up. He yelled in fury and rushed at his brother. He reared his fist back, and went for a punch. Link grinned and caught it right in his own hand. Mirren's eyes widened in shock as Link balled up his other fist. He sent it flying, and punched Mirren right in the stomach. He puffed from the force of the hit, and began staggering as he held his hurting stomach at the moment.  
  
"Gotta do better than that Mirren!" shouted Link, "next time try something like this!" Link then jumped at him and lifted up his foot. He kicked him hard in the left shoulder and knocked him down. Mirren groaned from the pain again and now held both his throbbing shoulder and stomach. Link laughed. "Painful isn't it bro?" he asked, "That is one thing that's good to start off with, to see how well you can manage the pain." Mirren then looked up at Link.  
  
"Well, I can most definitely take the pain.." he replied, "...but can you!?" Mirren then tucked his body, and jumped up at Link. He was completely taken by surprise, and Mirren hit him hard in the upper chest with a head butt. Link staggered back as he clutched his hurt chest, but still didn't get knocked down. Mirren then rushed at him again, and went for another punch. Link saw Mirren, and blocked the punch. He grabbed his arm, twisted it, turned Mirren around, and held him high in the air as he gave him a hammerlock. Mirren yelled in pain as Link laughed.  
  
"Nice fight bro" he began, "but now you're done. You've got two choices; either submit to this and lose, or keep on going and have your arm broken!" He applied more pressure, and Mirren screamed in agony. It was like his arm was trying to be snapped in half, and he tried to think of a way to escape. Link kept up the submission maneuver, and was a little surprised at how Mirren kept with it and didn't tap out yet.  
  
"I suggest you tap now Mirren, I'm not kidding when I say I'll break your arm...because I will!" he yelled. Mirren then took his foot, and kicked it back into Link's face. He had no way to dodge it or block it, so he just watched helplessly as it came closer. Mirren's heel struck him hard, and he yelled in pain as he dropped Mirren. He clutched his face, and groaned in pain. Mirren also grunted from his pain, but watched as Link slowly began staggering back. His eyes narrowed with fierceness and determination as he got in a battle stance.  
  
"Come on Link, just take those hands off your face and I can end this fight." he said to himself. Soon the pain began to leave Link's face, and he did take his hands off it. The second he did though; Mirren yelled in fury and charged at Link like a bullet. Link froze in shock, and was amazed at what Mirren was doing. Mirren then rammed his shoulder straight into Link's stomach as they both flew into the little waterway around the courtyard. Link landed right in the water, but Mirren didn't. Link groaned in pain for a few seconds before finally opening his eyes and realizing he was now soaking wet. He looked up at Mirren with pure anger in his eyes. Mirren laughed nervously, and smiled incredulously; he knew he was in deep trouble.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that bro, I didn't mean to hit you that hard that you'd get flying into the water." he said. Link gritted his teeth.  
  
"You're dead Mirren" he whispered. Mirren's eyes widened in fear as he gulped. He yelled in fright and began running away screaming as Link chased him ready to literally tear him limb from limb.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link chased Mirren throughout the entire castle as he still dripped from his wetness. He was right now incredibly angry, and wanted to just destroy Mirren. His eyes were filled with rage, and Mirren's were filled with fear as he still screamed. They kept on running and running, and they soon came to a garden where Zelda was relaxing. She suddenly heard Mirren's yells, and looked to see what was going on.  
  
She saw Link soaking wet just chase Mirren as he yelled threats of all sorts. Her eyes narrowed with irritation and she groaned as she thought of Link. She did love him, but it really, really annoyed her when he beat up Mirren for stupid reasons. Mirren and Link came closer and closer to her, and she just stood there normally.  
  
"HE'S GONNA KICK MY BUTT!!!!!!" Mirren yelled out loud. He wasn't yelling mainly at Zelda, but just at anyone. Link picked up speed, and Mirren yelled again as he raced by Zelda. She didn't even look at him, and simply stuck her finger down his collar. She lifted him up as Link lunged at Mirren. He was just about to grab him before Zelda lifted him a little higher as she glared at Link. Link yelled a little this time and just got a face full of dirt instead of getting Mirren.  
  
Even though Zelda had just saved his life, Mirren still trembled in fear a little. He looked down at Link, and knew he was even angrier. Link lifted his head out of the ground. He spat all of the dirt out of his mouth and looked at Mirren. He glared at him with anger in his eyes as Mirren gulped in fear. Zelda then pulled him closer and set him down beside herself.  
  
"Don't worry Mirren, Link won't hurt you now."she reassured as she still glared at Link. Link then suddenly remembered Zelda. He got up, and looked at her anger-filled eyes. He instantly gulped himself this time as he realized that Zelda probably wasn't too happy about what just happened. "So Link, what's the reason this time why you nearly killed Mirren?" she asked. Link was right now very nervous and fearful himself.  
  
"Uhh...well...we were um...kinda fightin'..and.." he stuttered.  
  
"Full sentences Link!" Zelda shouted. Link cowered from Zelda's yell, and even Mirren was a little afraid right now, even though he knew that Zelda would never hurt him. Link then just gritted his teeth and said everything straight out.  
  
"I kinda taunted him a little in his room and I lured him outside to train him how to fist fight" he began, "we kept on fighting for a while and he rammed me straight into the water. I got soaked and I was so mad that I was ready to destroy him." He looked at Zelda with anger in his eyes as he waited for Zelda to scold Mirren now.  
  
"So, another stupid reason.."she said. Link's eyes now widened in shock.  
  
"What are you talkin' about Zelda!?" he exclaimed, "I have every right to annihilate him! He got me soakin' wet!!!!" Zelda still looked the same way.  
  
"Yeah, but you started this whole thing..didn't you Link?" she asked. Link then just realized he did and put his head down in shame.  
  
"Why do you always have to stick up for him?" he whined. Zelda then put arm around Mirren and pulled him a little closer.  
  
"Because pretty much every time you decided to beat him up, he practically did nothing or did it on accident" she answered.  
  
"You like him better than me don't you!?" Link yelled. Zelda was surprised by Link's idiotic theory.  
  
"Oh course not Link!" she answered, "You are me are in love Link, why would I like a little kid over my true love!? Not that I don't like him though, because I do a lot, but not as much as you." Link then looked at Mirren and sneered.  
  
"Lucky little punk" he murmured, "gettin' Zelda on your side, tryin' ta steal her from me!" Zelda now looked shocked again.  
  
"What is it with you and stupid ideas!?" she yelled, "Mirren would never do such a thing! He knows you and me like each other! He's just as mature as you! It's not like he's love with me either!" Mirren then just kind of thought of how he did kind of like her and was thankful she was covering up for him. Link then just gritted his teeth.  
  
"Fine!" he yelled, "I'm sorry for everything Mirren I promise I won't beat ya up for anymore stupid reasons!" Link then just stomped off. Zelda watched him and smiled. She found it very funny when Link got mad and finally apologized to Mirren, and then when he'd stomp off mumbling to himself in anger. She laughed a little as Mirren looked up at her.  
  
"Thanks Zelda" he said. Zelda then looked down at him and smiled.  
  
"No problem" she replied, "I wasn't gonna just see you get destroyed there, and Link doesn't need to know what goes on between us, I mean with that whole crush thing." Mirren looked a little embarrassed for a moment before Zelda just smiled at him. He finally did smile back at her and they both then looked at Link. They watched him and finally both burst out into laughter.  
  
Author's Notes: Ahhhhhhh...nothing like the smell of that sinister feeling....I mean before with Ganondorf and Emralda of course! Yeah, they're some pretty evil dudes...^_^ And nothing like seeing Mirren kick Link's butt and Link get all mean and jerky. Oh yeah, don't forget Zelda gettin' mad at Link again. Yeah, if I ever met Link, he'd probably kick my butt, but I'm not afraid! *looks over shoulder nervously* Okay he's not here..good. And as usual please review and tell me whatcha think!  
LittleLink 


	3. Epilogue Chapter 3: Birthday Shopping

Chapter 3: Birthday Shopping  
  
The next morning Mirren woke up pretty early. He yawned as stretched his arms as he looked out the window. It was covered in water and rain drops were pounding against it every second. He heard a boom in the distance, and realized it was also thundering pretty hard out. He saw a bolt of lightning slice its way through the sky; and a crackle of thunder soon followed. It sounded like a bomb, and it seemed to shake all of Hyrule. Mirren just sat their and thought of how he was going to go shopping today for Zelda's birthday gifts. He thought of flying Goldenfire through the rough winds and massive rain. He thought of seeing lightning lit up right before his eyes and nearly getting knocked off Goldenfire from a huge boom of thunder..  
  
"Cool!" he exclaimed. He then hopped out of bed and threw off his old dirty clothes and put on new ones. He slipped on another clean pair of the same pants he wore, and then put on a clean green turtleneck as always. He then rummaged through the rest of his closet as he threw away other clothes and items that he didn't need at the moment.  
  
'Now where the heck is that thing?" he asked himself as he plowed through a pile of socks and tossed away some kind of fur hat. Soon, he looked inside an old box, and opened it up. "Ah! Here it is!" he said, and pulled out a sepia colored cloak and hood. He dusted off whatever dirt was on it and slapped it on. He then ran over to his dresser and hooked his adult-sized wallet onto his belt. He then looked up and saw the Goddesses Sword hanging there on the wall. He smiled and took it down. He strapped it onto his back.  
  
"Never know when I might need you" he said to himself. He then lastly made sure he had his redwood ocarina in his pocket. Once he was sure he had it he opened his door and left the room. He walked down the hallways of Hyrule Castle and thought of getting a great dark blue dress and that beautiful necklace for Zelda. He smiled at the idea of it and kept on walking.  
  
As he walked and walked down the halls, he soon turned a corner and bumped into Zelda. She gasped in surprise, but soon laughed.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry Mirren!" she exclaimed, "I didn't see you, are you alight?" Mirren nodded.  
  
"I'm fine" he answered. Zelda smiled.  
  
"Well that's good to know" she replied, "hey, you seem like you're just ready to leave; where are ya going?" Mirren froze and frantically tried to think of an answer. He didn't want to tell her he was going out to get her birthday gifts, but he didn't really want to lie to her. He gulped and finally he decided what to say.  
  
"I'm just going to Larchwood Village in Terlon Forest to get some things for our party" he spat out. He gulped again and began sweating bullets in hopes Zelda wouldn't ask him for what.  
  
"Cool Mirren" she replied, "I'm just going to Kakarkio to also get some things for our party." Mirren sighed with relief.  
  
"Good, at least she won't be able to even see me getting her stuff" he said in his head.  
  
"That's great, now he won't see me get him that red turtleneck in that shop there" Zelda also said in her head. They both then just kind of stared at each other for a few moments before Mirren began walking away.  
  
"Well I better get goin', I've still got other things I need to do after this" Mirren began, "well see ya Zelda!" He then ran down the hallway. "God that was close" he said in his head once again.  
  
"That was a close one" Zelda also said in her head.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren ran outside into the rain and tightened up his cloak. Rain drop after rain drop landed on him, but he barely even got wet. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ocarina. He pressed it against his lips and played Goldenfire's melody. A few seconds after he finished, there was a crackle of thunder, and he heard Goldenfire's deep roar bellow throughout Hyrule. The great golden dragon flew down right by his side and knelt down to help Mirren get on him better. Once he was on, they quickly took to air and began flying out to Terlon Forest through the terrible weather.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren flew Goldenfire at a very fast speed. They soared straight past and through all the storm clouds as the wind blew against them. The rain got even worse, and Mirren began to get soaked. The numerous raindrops slashed against him, and his cloak no longer helped him as much as he planned. A sudden down-pour came, and larger raindrops came plummeting down to the earth. They smashed into Mirren and Goldenfire, and literally gave Mirren a shower.  
  
"Man, I'd never do anything like this for anyone else but you Zelda" he mumbled to himself. He them sneezed, and realized he'd most definitely get a cold now from this. His eyes narrowed. "Why do I have to have a crush on her?" he grumbled. Soon they began flying over Terlon Forest, and in a matter of only a few minutes, he spotted Larchwood Village through all the trees and flew Goldenfire down to it.  
  
He zipped past the treetops and jumped off Goldenfire. He landed perfectly on the ground and got up. He waved Goldenfire off as the great dragon flew off into the wild blue yonder. Mirren instantly then bolted to the tunic/clothes shop of the village. He was already wet enough, and didn't want to get any worse. He ran to it, and opened the door. He walked in dripping wet as the shop keeper looked up at him as he hung up some new tunics.  
  
"Hey lil guy!" he exclaimed, "What can I do for ya today?" Mirren looked around and tried to see if he had what he was looking for.  
  
"I need a dark blue dress for my friend's birthday gift, do you have any?" Mirren asked. The shop keeper chuckled.  
  
"Of course I do my boy!" he answered, "come with me, I'll show the best in stock!" He then turned around and began walking to the far side of the room. Mirren smiled.  
  
"I knew this place had everything" he said in his head. He then began to follow the man until they came to a kind of large cabinet. The shop keeper smiled and opened up the doors; showing Mirren probably close to two dozen dark blue dresses.  
  
"This good lad?" he asked. Mirren's jaw dropped. He'd never expect one shop to have this many dark blue dresses. He didn't answer, he only nodded. The shop keeper chuckled again and began to walk off. "Well when yer ready to buy the one ya want, come by my desk.." He said. Mirren nodded again not even looking at him. He finally snapped out of his trance and began to look at the many dresses.  
  
They were all so beautiful! He didn't know which one to get! There was one with stars, one with suns, one with dragon designs, one with hawk designs, and some with designs that he couldn't even explain..but still ones that were awesome. But as he looked through them all, he remembered he wanted to get one similar to Zelda's pink dress. He sighed.  
  
"Boy, this better be worth it..." he spoke to himself. He then began looking once again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
About twenty minutes later, Mirren finally found a dress very similar to Zelda's. It had the same look, except with a beautiful rose instead of the phoenix-type bird. He smiled at it and ran off to the shop keeper's desk.  
  
"Ahhh, I see you've found a nice one" he said. Mirren nodded happily. "Okay then...that'll be two-hundred rupees my boy" he announced. Mirren nodded again and reached into his pocket. He quickly pulled out his golden rupee and handed it to the man. He took the rupee and then began to fold the wonderful dress. He took a nice golden box from one of the shelves and put it inside. He also then took some scissors and cut a nice amount of red ribbon from one of the rolls he had. He tied it up nicely and handed it to Mirren. "There ya go lad. So who's it for? A friend?" he asked. Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yeah, it's gonna be her birthday soon, and this is what she wanted" he answered. The shop keeper smiled.  
  
"Well I hope she likes it" he replied. Mirren smiled.  
  
"Yeah, me too" he said, "Well I gotta go, and thanks!" He then walked out of the shop and stuffed the box under his cloak to keep it from getting wet. He quickly called for Goldenfire and took off for Kakariko.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren's flight was quick and swift through the terrible weather. He soared straight out of Terlon Forest and made his way over Hyrule Field and all the way to Kakarkio. He landed at the stairs and hopped off Goldenfire. He made Goldenfire stay right outside since he was going to be very quick and was already close to the castle. He left the box with Zelda's dress in it with him also. Goldenfire held the tiny box (to him it was tiny) under his wing and kept it from getting wet.  
  
Mirren ran up the stairs and soon entered Kakariko Village. No one was outside since it was raining, so he got down to business and looked for the shop where the necklace was. He walked a little ways from the entrance and tried to spot it, but unfortunately couldn't. He then suddenly heard the sound of hooves. He looked over to where another clothes shop had sprung up and saw a woman in a cloak also riding a white horse carrying a nicely wrapped box.  
  
"Zelda." he whispered to himself. He then instantly ran as quickly as possible to the large tree in the center of the village. He ducked behind the many weeds by it and also its huge trunk as Zelda rode by. Luckily she passed by without seeing him, and Mirren sighed with relief. "Whew.that was close!" he said. He then thought of the box she was carrying. What as it? He had no idea, and decided to just go get the necklace.  
  
He looked all around the village for a few more minutes before he came to it finally. He opened the door, and flung off his hood. The water that was soaked into it began to drip off it, and he began to walk to the counter where the store owner was.  
  
The owner was an older man with very little hair (which was white). But even with that, he seemed to be a nice man, and greeted Mirren with a smile. "Welcome to my shop lad, what can I get ya?" he asked. Mirren smiled at the man.  
  
"I was looking for that golden necklace with the nice ruby in the center" he answered. The store owner smiled again and nodded. He opened up a small cabinet in the desk and reached it. Mirren walked through the glass windows as he took a purple velvet box. He closed the door and opened up the box in front of Mirren. It was the necklace Mirren had been looking for. The gold shined and the ruby sparkled like no other. Mirren's eyes lit up and his mouth dropped. The shop owner smiled.  
  
"Yep, this is one of my best products" he began, "24-karrot gold and one of the best rubies I've seen in my day. Of course it's rather expensive..I'd seriously doubt you'd ever have the rupees to buy this..." Mirren then just reached into his pocket and poured the rupees out of his wallet. The shop owner was a little surprised, but managed to chuckle a little. "Well, in that case; this thing's all yours kid!" he replied. Mirren smiled and took the box. He closed it up, and slipped it into his knapsack (he had others besides the one that Link massacred). He was about to walk away before the shop owner said something. "For your girlfriend I presume?" he asked with a smile. Mirren smirked.  
  
"I don't think that's any of your business" he said back but not sounding mean. The shop owner laughed, and Mirren left. He put up his hood again and ran out of Kakarkio Village. He bolted down the steps and went over to Goldenfire. He got on, and began to fly off. He wanted to make a quick stop to Lon Lon Ranch before he went back to Hyrule Castle. He soared through the air over to the peaceful over to the peaceful ranch with a smile on his face....but a completely empty wallet.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Zelda had returned to Hyrule Castle. She put her horse inside the stable and quickly went inside to get out of the rain. She took her cloak off and began to walk down the hallways to her room. She carried the wonderful box and still smiled.  
  
As she walked, Faria suddenly came down the other hallway with a smile also on her face.  
  
"Hey Zelda!" she exclaimed, "What's with the box?" Zelda smiled again.  
  
"It's Mirren's birthday present, you wanna see it?" she asked. Faria nodded. Zelda then opened up the box. "Keep it a secret though." Faria then looked in and was amazed at what it was. Inside was a beautiful red turtleneck exactly like Mirren's green one, except the collar, and ends where the wrist would be was made of some gold-like material. Faria's mouth dropped.  
  
"Holy cow!" she said, "It's beautiful!" Zelda nodded and closed the box.  
  
"Yeah I know" she replied, "his Goron tunic had gotten torn yesterday, so I decided to get him something like it; only better" Faria laughed a little.  
  
"Well you sure got him something great!" she spoke.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure he'll love it" Zelda added, "this'll be the best birthday gift ever for him, and I'm sure the best birthday of his entire life." Zelda then walked off down the hallway. Faria watched her older sister walk away and smiled.  
  
"I also promise to make this the greatest birthday for him, and you also Zelda." she whispered to herself.  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren was right now over Lon Lon Ranch. He jumped off Goldenfire and landed perfectly on the ground. He looked around, and saw Malon walk out of the barn.  
  
"Oh Mirren, it's you!" she exclaimed, and ran over to him. "How ya doin'?" Mirren smiled.  
  
"Pretty good, haven't seen ya in a while though, sorry I've been kinda busy..." he replied.  
  
"Birthday?" she asked with a grin. Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I was just out getting Zelda's gifts..." he began.  
  
"Really? What did ya get her?" she asked. Mirren grinned and snapped his fingers. Suddenly Goldenfire flew over the ranch again but this time dropped Zelda's gifts. Mirren caught them and smiled.  
  
"It'd be better if I showed you inside, not here in the rain." he said. Malon smiled and nodded.  
  
"Come on into the house, I can't wait to see them!" she said. Mirren now nodded and they both walked into the house. Talon wasn't around, and neither were his cuccos, so there was actually going to be some peace and quiet. Mirren took off his cloak, and Malon flung off her own cloak. They both hung theirs up, and walked over to the table. Mirren set the things down, and opened up the big box. Malon's eyes lit up with surprise when she saw the beautiful dress. She couldn't believe it!  
  
"Holy cow!" she exclaimed, "That's awesome! She'll love it!" Mirren grinned.  
  
"Yeah, but I think she'll like this even better.." He said, and opened up the purple velvet box to the necklace. Malon's mouth just dropped.  
  
"Oh my God!" she yelled in a way, "that thing's just plain beautiful! How much was it!?" Mirren chuckled.  
  
"Five-hundred rupees.." He answered. Malon now smiled and laughed a little.  
  
"Wow, well I'm sure she'll just love them both" she replied, "man, I seriously think you got her the greatest gifts of all time Mirren.....I know she'll absolutely love them.." Mirren smiled a little.  
  
"Well you were right on that kiss when I told her how I liked her, so I guess I can believe ya on this one" he said. Malon laughed a little.  
  
"You better.." She replied. They both then laughed. Soon Mirren called for Goldenfire and he began to fly back to Hyrule Castle.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Emralda smiled wickedly. She was as usual watching through her magical fire.  
  
"Smile and laugh now boy."she said to herself, "..because yours and Zelda's birthday won't be as happy as planned.." She laughed quietly until Ganondorf came into the room.  
  
"I've got the new troops ready, they'll be our defense for the citadel." he announced. Emralda narrowed her eyes as she turned to her brother.  
  
"They better be more powerful than those weaklings we had before.." She spoke. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"They are Emralda" he reassured, "the toughest of Monblins and Iron Knuckles I've ever seen. They'll certainly be a challenge for Mirren..believe me..." Emralda smiled back.  
  
"Well that's good to hear" she said, "it'll be just as it was for that kid only a month ago; the worst nightmare of his life, all coming back; only a day before his and Zelda's birthday..." Ganondorf smiled.  
  
"But of course" he began, "that's one reason we're doing all of this, that birthday of theirs to ruin. Not to mention I can also eliminate Link for that battle four years ago; but first he can see Mirren die.." Emralda smiled evilly.  
  
"Yes, I can't wait until I can finally kill him" she said with a little of a fierce tone in her voice, "after everything he's done; I can finally finish off his life. Then we can kill all of his friends, then the Sages, Link, and his beloved Zelda..then finally we'll finally conquer Hyrule; just as we promised each other all those years ago." Ganondorf nodded.  
  
"This will be our greatest assault ever, and this time; we'll succeed" he replied, "now excuse me, but I must go do some business for this plan." Ganondorf then turned around and began to walk off. He came to the door, opened it, and was about to walk out before Emralda said one more thing.  
  
"What exactly are you going to do my brother?" she asked. Ganondorf didn't turn around, but he still smiled diabolically.  
  
"I'm getting the one who will capture the Sages when they're all in the Sacred Realm" he answered, "he's an old friend, but I'll make him even more powerful. If you really want to know where I'll be going, I'll be at the Fire Temple." Ganondorf then left the throne room. Emralda smiled at him before turning to her magical fire. She watched as Mirren flew through the air on Goldenfire.  
  
"That child doesn't even know that his worst nightmare is coming back once again; only worse this time..."  
  
Author's Notes: Betcha know who's coming back....and if ya don't...well you'll find out later! Yeah, I have a feeling this is gonna end up being one of the boring chapters, but once again it's your decision. In the next chapter we're gonna finally see some action. I'll try to post that today, but then I won't be posting for a couple days probably. Yeah, I'm only finished with chapters 1-4, so you'll only see them. But I might be able to finish chapter 5 if I work hard this weekend, so look out. And once again please review and tell me how ya like it!  
LittleLink 


	4. Epilogue Chapter 4: Nepsana

Chapter 4: Nepsana  
  
Link was in the stables at Hyrule Castle. He was grooming Epona with a brush as she lay on the hay just adoring the feel of it. Link smiled at his beautiful stallion and kept on doing it. He loved Epona very much and had been with her for years. He still remembered when he was only ten, and the day Malon taught him Epona's Song and he and Epona became friends. He remembered when he rescued her from Ingo's vile grasp and became her rider. He loved riding her, and liked nothing better than doing that all around Hyrule Field on a nice day. Unfortunately, today wasn't that day, but he still found a way to be with his great horse.  
  
As he groomed her, suddenly Link heard a zip, and then a buzz around him. He then saw Navi fly into the stable through one of the windows.  
  
"Link Link Link I need your help!" she yelled. Link got up and looked at his fairy.  
  
"Whoa, slow down Navi, what's up?" he asked.  
  
"A bunch of Moblins, Wolfos, and strange birds are coming from the Lost Woods to the village! Either you go and help or the village will be destroyed! Please help Link, Saria's counting on you!" Link's eyes narrowed and he became more serious.  
  
"Alright Navi, I'll come, just wait outside, I'll gonna bring some help" Link then ran out of the stables and made his way into the castle. He was going to get Mardera, Taursus, and Jarlis to come with him, and he also wanted to tell Zelda he was leaving also. He burned down the hallways and lucky for him found everyone in the feast hall.  
  
"Everyone I have some trouble!" he yelled, "there's a big group of beasts coming from the Lost Wood and heading towards Kokiri Village and I'm gonna go help out, but I need a couple of you to come help me.." Taursus, Jarlis, and Mardera instantly stood up.  
  
"I'll be coming Link!" announced Taursus.  
  
"I'll also go, I'll be glad to help!" added Mardera.  
  
"If everyone else is going, then I'll be coming too!" exclaimed Jarlis. Link smiled and nodded.  
  
"Thanks all of you, but we must get going..now!" they all nodded and ran out of the room to the stables to get a horse. Link was also going to go right with them, but instead stopped for a moment. He walked over to Zelda, and put her hands around hers.  
  
"I'll be right back Zelda" he whispered. Zelda smiled and nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, just stay safe, I'd hate to see anything happen to you right before my birthday" she replied. Link also smiled and also nodded. Zelda then tipped closer and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Goodbye Zelda.." Link then left.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren had arrived at the castle a few minutes ago, and had put away his gifts in his room. He had no clue at all that everyone was going to Kokiri Village.  
  
He took off his cloak and hung it out to dry. He then unbuckled his knapsack and threw it on his bed. He felt around for his wallet, but didn't feel it anywhere. He looked all around, but still didn't find.  
  
"Just great" he said, "well, I guess I just gotta go get it..wherever it is.." Luckily he was broke, so it wasn't like he was losing any rupees, just the actual wallet. He went back outside and walked down the paths in the front of the castle. He looked and looked around, and soon saw a small brown thing in a puddle by a tree. He went over by it, and picked up his soaking wet wallet.  
  
"Well, I got it!" he said to himself. He slipped it in his pocket and turned round. He suddenly heard a bunch of hooves, and the next he knew Link rode by him on Epona and snatched him by the collar. He yelled in surprise and fright as he hung just inches above the ground next to Epona's huge hooves as Link still held onto him.  
  
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING LINK!!!!????" Mirren screamed. Link then threw Mirren up onto Epona in front of him.  
  
"There's a big gang of monsters heading straight for Kokiri Village, so we're all going there to help out" he answered.  
  
"Wait a minute, who else is here?" Mirren asked. Suddenly Mardera galloped her horse quicker to ride right next to Epona.  
  
"We're right here Mirren.." She said as she narrowed her eyes. Mirren looked at her and then saw Taursus and Jarlis.  
  
"Man, I can't believe you wouldn't even notice when your friends are around Mirren" spoke Jarlis as he laughed. Mirren now laughed a little too.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that guys" he said, "I didn't notice you since some MORON scared the livin' poop outta me and just grabbed me by the collar as he rode by on his horse at full speed!!!" Mirren now looked up and glared at Link, who narrowed his eyes and looked at Mirren only for a couple seconds.  
  
"Oh shut up.." He spat back.  
  
* * * * *  
  
They all then rode as fast as they could through Hyrule Fields. They galloped down the path and soon found their way into the entrance of Kokiri Forest. They hopped off their horses and ran through the tunnel and over the bridge. They all had their weapons ready and charged into the village. All the Kokiri children were gathered by the Training Grounds almost hiding in a way. A few of them had Deku Sticks and Deku Nuts; their only defenses. Saria was all the way at the back looking very worried. She had fear and worry on her face; but that soon changed when she caught one glance of her lifelong friend.  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed, and instantly ran out of the mess of Kokiri and over to Link. She jumped at him, and just embraced him with one of the biggest hugs you could ever think of. "Link your finally here, oh thank the Goddesses!" she said, "I was so worried you wouldn't get here in time, that army is so close to the village!" Link was a little surprised by his friend's incredible hug, but smiled and rubbed her hair.  
  
"Don't worry Saria, I'll protect the village, and besides, I have friends with me" he replied. Saria now finally let go of her hug to see everyone behind her. She saw Taursus, Jarlis, Mardera, and of course, Mirren. She smiled and nodded.  
  
"Thanks, all of you, I truly appreciate your intention to help me and the village..." she stated bowing her head. Mirren smirked.  
  
"You don't have ta thank us" he replied, "I'm always willin' ta help out a friend." Saria now looked at him and smiled. She and Mirren had become pretty good friends after the battle with Ganondorf and Emralda. Being that she helped him in the battle, that he was Link's little brother, and that they were both children, they felt like they were great friends, and would stay that way.  
  
Suddenly a yell was heard from the Lost Woods. It was that of a girl, and one that seemed to be of fear. Everyone gasped, but Link and Mirren instantly drew their weapons and ran over to the ledges that would help them reach the entrance to the Lost Woods.  
  
"We'll go see what's up, everyone else stay back to guard the village in case something happens!" yelled Link. Saria and the others nodded, and Link and Mirren quickly climbed the wall that was covered in vines. They then ran around the fence, and entered the Lost Woods.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link and Mirren ran as fast as ever through the forest maze. They ran and ran through it hoping they'd make it in time to whoever was in danger. They soon came to the area where the target on the tree was and where two Skull Kids still played their flutes. Link and Mirren ran over to the railing and saw a young, teenaged girl cornered by four Moblins. She had a pike lying next to her, but she still looked afraid. The Moblins laughed.  
  
"Well boys, we finally found her, now we can take her precious broach and kill her!" one shouted.  
  
"Yeah, I'd say a spear through the chest should suit her well.." Another added evilly. The girl gasped in fear, and began to tremble. Mirren's eyes lit up with anger; he couldn't stand watching it any longer.  
  
"Alright Mirren." whispered Link, "I say we wait a second and surprise.." Mirren then just jumped back and jumped over the railing at the Moblins.  
  
"Show no mercyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!" he shouted. The Moblins were surprised at everything that had happened and turned around. The one yelled in fright just before Mirren brought his sword down through his forehead. The Moblin crashed on the ground as blood poured from his head, and Mirren just glared at the three remaining Moblins.  
  
"What are you doin' here!?" yelled one of them. Mirren sneered.  
  
"I think the question should be; why are you threatening this girl.?" he spat back. One of the Moblins gritted his teeth.  
  
"Enough!" he shouted, "I'm gonna kill you and then this stupid girl!!!" The Moblin then grasped his spear and ran at Mirren. He yelled in fury but soon just gurgled disturbingly as an arrow flew into his throat. It sprayed a little blood, and he finally died. The other two Moblins gasped in shock and looked up to see Link holding his Fairy Bow and grinning.  
  
"You forgot about me." he taunted. Realizing they were both distracted, Mirren flew at the one Moblin and drove the Goddesses' Sword straight into his chest. He first yelled in pain, but soon just gurgled like the other and fell over dead with a bloody gash in his stomach. The other watched as his fellow warrior fell dead and froze in fear. Link then loaded up another arrow and let it fly. It soon found its mark in the Moblin's back and killed him. He crashed to the ground, and all four lay dead with blood flowing from their wounds. Link then came down the ladder and looked at them. He sneered, and soon looked over at the frightened girl. She was obviously a teenager, and had shoulder length brown hair. She was wearing a light, chestnut colored coat with a dark green tunic under it. Also she was wearing a dark crimson blouse. Link now smiled at her.  
  
"You have nothing to worry about anymore, you're safe" he softly said to calm her. Mirren also now looked at her and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, as long as we're here; there won't be nothing to attack you" he added. The girl looked at them a little surprised, but soon flung her arms around Mirren and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you so much" she began with a grateful tone and as a couple tears formed in her eyes, "thank you for saving me from those brutes. I really thought I was going to die...thank you both.." Mirren's eyes kind of widened in shock, and he was surprised that she was giving him such a hug. He then looked up at Link, who was on the verge of laughing and was right now kind of giggling. Mirren gulped nervously as he realized Link was going to be tormenting him with "Mirren's got a girlfriend!" jokes soon probably. The girl then finally let go her of hug. When she did, Link stopped giggling, and looked serious.  
  
"Hey, I have a couple questions for you" he began, "first off, who are you? And what the heck were those Moblins after you for?" The girl then wiped away whatever remaining tears she had and looked straight at Link.  
  
"My name is Nepsana" she answered, "I'm fifteen and I'm from Terlon Forest. I had been a servant of a Moblin leader named Varnash there. I had always had this opal broach of my father's, and it was worth a lot. One day, Varnash found out about it, and took it from me. I had fought for it first, but he beat me and put me in a cell at his hideout. I found a way to escape, and I took it back and fled from there. I came here in hopes I'd lose him, but he and his gang of other Moblins and monsters followed me here, and they're going to kill me and take my broach if they catch me." Link and Mirren felt sorry for Nepsana. Her life was in terrible danger, and she was frightened of all of this.  
  
"Well I can tell ya one thing, they won't be getting' anywhere near you until they go through me, and that won't be easy" Mirren replied. Link nodded.  
  
"Yes, and you can come to Kokiri Village with us" he added, "We have other friends there who would be happy to help you out. And if they come to the village, we'll defeat them." Nepsana was surprised by their great intention of protecting her, and bowed her head gratefully.  
  
"Thank you both" she began, "thank you both for everything. I couldn't do any of this on my own, I am eternally grateful..." Mirren smiled.  
  
"Don't be" he replied, "we always try to help the best we can wherever it's needed." Nepsana now looked up at the smiling brothers and was a little surprised by their attitudes towards all of this. Link then walked over to her and put a hand out.  
  
"Come on, let's go to Kokiri Village" he said. Nepsana now looked at him and nodded. She took his hand, and he helped her up and she grabbed her pike. She strapped it to her back, and began to climb up the ladder. Mirren began to follow her, but Link stopped him. "Heh, she's only fifteen bro, that's not that bad an age for dating..." he said mockingly. Mirren gritted his teeth as anger filled up inside of him.  
  
"Shut it ya big idiot!" he spat back, and began to climb the ladder. Link laughed at Mirren, and also began to climb up it.  
  
As they did that, three Skull Kids watched everything from the bushes by the two tree stumps. They all smiled mischievously, and the one let out a quiet, yet evil laugh.  
  
"Well, it seems that the girl has made friends with Link and his brother..most interesting" he said. One of the others nodded.  
  
"Yes, this'll be great news for that Varnash and his gang, he'll probably reward us handsomely.." He added. The other one grinned.  
  
"Enough waiting, I just say we go now, so we get our reward and do whatever we want with it!" he exclaimed. The other two nodded. Two of them then did a back flip into the air and disappeared. The other one still sat there as he watched the three walk off.  
  
"That Kokiri Village will be in one heck of a surprise when Varnash and his guys come to get that girl, those stupid children will certainly suffer.." He whispered to himself. He smiled evilly, and did his own back flip and disappeared.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Varnash and his large group of monsters were all gathered in the entrance to the Forest Maze. A large fire was burning in the middle, and the Moblins and Wolfos were cooking and eating their meat. Besides those two types of monsters, there were these large birds hanging on branching watching over the woods. They had light yellow feathers and a red underbelly. They were known as Zerdocks and lived in Terlon Forest. They could be very deadly in battle, so it was actually a good thing that Varnash had some in his group.  
  
The huge Moblin sat in front of all of them on a huge chair drinking a full barrel of ale. He had burgundy hair and wore the same armor as all normal Moblins. He had a bunch of scars all over his body and was a great fighter. His strength was absolutely amazing, and it beat out any other of the Moblins in his group. As he sat there still drinking, the three Skull Kids suddenly appeared in the area. All the others monsters were a little surprised by their sudden arrival, and were quick to getting their weapons and getting in a battle position. Varnash instantly threw his ale away and spit out whatever he had in his mouth. He wiped out his huge double-headed axe and glared at them.  
  
"What are you three doing here!?" he growled. One of the Skull Kids grinned and began to advance towards him, ignoring all the sneers and glares he was receiving from the monsters, including Varnash himself.  
  
"I have great news that I think would most certainly interest you Varnash" he announced with a bow. Varnash raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What is it kid?" he asked. The Skull Kid now looked up at him and grinned.  
  
"It concerns that girl you're after..." he answered. Varnash now smiled wickedly.  
  
"Really?" he asked in his happy yet evil tone, "well, tell me everything and you and your little friends get ta share a gold rupee..." All the faces of the Skull Kids instantly lit up.  
  
"Alright.." Began the one Skull Kid, "a few of your Moblins had found her and trapped her in the area of the woods where we compose, and were about to kill her and take her broach before that Hero of Time Link and his brother interrupted them. They killed your four Moblins and have taken her to Kokiri Village to protect her..." The Skull Kid was about to say more before Varnash just threw the gold rupee at him and turned to all of his crew.  
  
"Alright everyone!" he shouted, "get ready, we're going to Kokiri Village...now!" Everyone instantly got up and got their weapons ready. They got in their marching positions and waited for Varnash to tell them to go. "Thanks boys" he said to the Skull Kids, "hey, how would you guys like ta come with us? If you help us out, I'll give you each a red rupee.." The Skull Kids now looked excited and happy.  
  
"We'll do it!" one of them answered back. Varnash smiled evilly and nodded before turning to the rest of his troops. "Alright...move out!" he yelled. The monsters then began to march their way into the Lost Woods; Kokiri Village as their next destination.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link and Mirren had brought Nepsana to Kokiri Village. They introduced to her to everyone; Saria, Mardera, Jarlis, Taursus, and all the Kokiri Children.  
  
"Nice to meet you Nepsana, welcome to our village, you'll have a great time here" said Saria. Nepsana smiled and nodded at the Kokiri girl.  
  
"Thank you, I truly appreciate your hospitality" she replied. Saria smiled back at her.  
  
"Yeah you'll have a great time here, believe me, there's so many things you can do around here" Link said, "you can go shopping at the shop, you can go swimming in the pond, you can train at the training grounds, and I'm just getting started!" Everyone laughed a little. Nepsana blinked back a tear.  
  
'Thank you all, this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, I promise not to be of too much trouble" she said. Saria laughed a little more.  
  
"Believe me, you can't be as much trouble as Link was when he lived here.." She stated. Everyone burst out into laughter, and Mirren began to cry because he laughed so much and so hard. Link just stood there mouth agape and his eyes wide in shock as he looked at Saria and as everyone laughed at him.  
  
"Oh man Link, you got dissed by a girl! Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!" Mirren exclaimed. Everyone then just kept on laughing as Link gritted his teeth in anger of the insult.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A few hours later, the sun began to set, and the Kokiri Village began to turn into one big party. The children set out huge tables and filled them up with massive and numerous plates of food. A few more then came with barrels the size of them filled with ale. A small stage was set up, and a couple went up and began to play some music, a soon, the place was an actual party.  
  
Everyone danced to the wonderful tunes and ate and drank. All the fairies bounced up and down to the music and atmosphere as their lights around them illuminated the village a little. They all partied and partied and partied.  
  
"Oh man, I've seen a part so great done by just children!" exclaimed Taursus before he took a slug of his ale, "man those children are a bundle of energy!" Link smiled and ate some walnuts.  
  
"Yeah, they sure are quite the group, and living with them for ten years is something else!" he replied.  
  
"You lived here for ten years?" asked Taursus Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, when I was a baby my mother brought me here to protect me from the war" he began, "the great Deku Tree and the Children raised me, that's why I wear these clothes, because I still see myself in one way as a Kokiri." Taursus nodded and drank a little more ale.  
  
"You're an enigma Link, and a troublemaker according to Saria" he said, and laughed as Link gritted his teeth.  
  
"I wasn't a troublemaker!" he shouted, "and that joke wasn't even that funny!" Taursus laughed even more.  
  
"I found it hilarious!" he replied. Link narrowed his eyes and looked at Saria who was dancing around with the Kokiri. Even though she was the cause of the joke, he still smiled at his friend. He then looked over to one of the fences where Mirren and Nepsana were sitting and talking. He smiled at them.  
  
"Looks like Mirren has yet another friend.." He whispered to himself.  
  
Mirren and she had been talking for a while now about themselves, and stories about things that happened in their lives. Link was right; they really were becoming good friends.  
  
"So, you and Link didn't meet each other until about only two months ago?" Nepsana asked. Mirren smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yep, me and him were really long lost brothers" he answered, "and believe me, we may have not know each other for a while, but we've become really close as brothers." Nepsana smiled at him.  
  
"I never had a brother or sister, I never had any parents for that matter" she began, "I had just lived with that jerk Varnash and his stupid monsters. I had served him since I was about eight, and now after seven years I've finally escaped. I'm really happy that the Children are so willing to let me live here...but I feel like I really aren't happy at the thought of living here." Mirren looked a little surprised.  
  
"Why do you say that?" he asked. Nepsana now looked out at them.  
  
"I don't know" she answered, "they're all so nice and kind, and they seem to be fun to live with, but I just don't think I would ever be comfortable living here. I like them, but I don't think I'd ever be truly happy living with children. I never had a real home, I never considered Varnash's fortress a home, so I was really homeless in my mind. I just wish there would be a place where I'd be happy." She now looked a little sad, and Mirren instantly thought of an idea.  
  
"How would you like to come to Hyrule Castle with me, Link and the others?" he asked with a smile. Nepsana now looked a little surprised. She turned away from the party and looked at Mirren.  
  
"Are you serious?" she whispered. Mirren smiled again and nodded.  
  
"Of course, me and Zelda are great, she'd let any other friend of mine live there" he replied. Nepsana looked a little surprised that Mirren had called her a "friend", but she soon smiled.  
  
"Thank you Mirren.." She whispered. Suddenly the sound of marching in the distance was heard. Everyone gasped in shock, and the village went silent. The sound got louder and louder, and everyone realized it was coming from the Lost Woods.  
  
"Varnash" Nepsana whispered in fear. Suddenly, a bunch of Wolfos, Zerdocks, and Moblins came through the entrance of it and charged into the village. Lin k gritted his teeth in anger.  
  
"All of you children get away from the battle!" he shouted. The Children nodded and ran away to safe cover. Link now looked at Saria. "Saria, make sure they stay safe, understand?" Saria nodded.  
  
"No problem Link" she replied and ran off with the Children. Taursus, Mardera and Jarlis now pulled out their weaponry.  
  
"Let's take these morons out!" yelled Jarlis.  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm in the mood for kickin' some butt!" Mardera shouted. Link kind of smiled now.  
  
"Alright guys, let's take 'em out!" he yelled, and charged at them with the others.  
  
As they flew into battle, Varnash made his way over to where Mirren and Nepsana were. Mirren pulled out the Goddesses' Sword, and got I front of Nepsana ready to protect her.  
  
"Awwwww isn't that cute" Varnash said mockingly, "looks like Nepsana has a new friend! Heh! You guys don't stand a chance! Just give up your broach now Nepsana and return to Terlon with me and the others. At least we won't kill you.." Mirren sneered.  
  
"She ain't goin' anywhere" he spat back, "I'll make sure she stays safe you ugly idiot!" Varnash smiled.  
  
"Well boy, you've got some guts" he said, "listen, if you let her come with me, I'll pay you one thousand rupees.." Varnash now grinned, and Mirren's eyes narrowed.  
  
"You have ta be pretty stupid to think I'd give up my friend for a few rupees" he replied. Varnash now gritted his teeth in anger and pulled out his axe.  
  
"You're going down kid!" he yelled. Mirren got in his battle position and was ready to fight. But suddenly he saw Nepsana move to the side of him with her pike in hand. He looked rather shocked.  
  
"You're gonna fight Nepsana?" he asked. She nodded.  
  
"Yep, I'm pretty tough, and besides, I want some revenge on him before he dies!" she answered. Mirren still looked the same way, but soon smiled. Varnash then yelled in anger and rushed at the two.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link and Taursus fought side by side as they battled a bunch of Moblins. They seemed to be more powerful than normal Moblins, and gave them both quite a challenge.  
  
One of the Moblins thrust his spear out at Taursus. He was distracted by another Moblin and quickly killed it with a slash of his great sword. He was then just able to avoid the other Moblin's attack. He jumped to the side, and smashed his war-hammer down onto the Moblin's spear. The Moblin growled in anger, and tried to pull his spear up, but Taursus's kept it down as he flew at him and stabbed him in the chest. The Moblin quickly died, and fell backwards. Taursus took the moment to rest, but he was soon attacked by another Moblin. It struck him in the back with the butt of his spear and knocked him down. Taursus groaned in pain, and the Moblin laughed wickedly. He advanced towards him, and soon stood right above him. He was about to skewer Taursus before he swung his war-hammer at the Moblin's leg and broke it. He roared in pain and fell forward. Taursus then quickly took his sword and put it in front of him. The Moblin landed on top of it, and was killed.  
  
Link was fighting two Moblins at once. He slashed at them with the Master Sword and blocked their shots with the Mirror Shield. After a little bit, the Moblins trapped him in between themselves and both stuck out their spears out to kill him. At the last second, Link jumped up into the air and charged up his sword as the Moblins' spears collided into each other. Link's sword then turned orange, and he did a great spin attack. He spun around, and sliced both of the Moblins' necks open. Blood shot out from their wounds, and they both instantly fell dead.  
  
Jarlis was battling a duo of Wolfos at that point. He knew how to fight them pretty well and was used to them after all the battles he had had in Terlon Forest with the Dusk Wolfos. They each snarled and growled as they slashed at him with their claws. Each time they did though, Jarlis would lift up his staff and block the attack. Soon one just lunged at him with his mouth open ready to clamp down onto him. Jarlis dodged him and slammed his staff into its head. It gave off a quick yelp of pain before dying. The other then also lunged at him. Jarlis saw him coming and gave a great uppercut to him. He howled in pain, and landed on the ground dead. Jarlis then rested for a second.  
  
"Man, those guys were weak!" he exclaimed, "This battle's ours!" Suddenly he heard the flapping of wings behind him. He turned around and saw three Zerdocks flying right at him. He yelled in surprise as they flew by with their sharp talons in front of them. He jumped down just in time as they soared by and just missed dicing him. Once they went by, he stood up and charged his staff up. They flew a little ways, and finally turned around. Once they did, Jarlis yelled in fury and shot three energy blasts at them. They soared at the three Zerdocks, and when they hit, killed them in a second.  
  
Mardera like the others wasn't having much trouble with her battles. She had a bunch of Zerdocks hovering around her and diving in for attacks. A couple had hit her and hurt her a little, but she still kept on fighting the birds. Two then decided to fly in at her at the same time. There was one to right, and one to the left. In an instant, she jumped up and did a split kick to both of them. They screeched in pain, and fell to the ground unconscious. The other two Zerdocks were surprised by her attack, but still in at her. She watched as they got closer, and got her scimitars ready. They got closer and closer, and as they did, Mardera yelled in fury and rushed at them. In two flashes of her blades, the two Zerdocks just plopped on the ground dead.  
  
Mardera (like the others) now rested for a couple moments before she suddenly saw the three Skull Kids peep out of the bushes at Link as he fought off a couple more Moblins. She grinned and ran over to them.  
  
"Heh heh heh, Link won't be able to dodge this" one whispered.  
  
"Yeah, he won't even see us shoot them since he's fighting that Moblin" another added. The remaining Skull Kid now grinned as he put his flute to his lips ready to shoot of the darts from it. He inhaled, and was just about to shoot it before Mardera suddenly jumped in front of them. They all gasped in shock, and were a little frightened at the moment.  
  
"So, you boys were gonna try and use a dirty trick to fight...you're disgraces" she said. The one Skull Kid gritted his teeth.  
  
"Stupid Gerudo! I'll kill you first!" he yelled, and blew into his flute to shoot the dart at her. She smirked and effortlessly dodged it. The Skull Kid gasped in shock as his mouth fell right down.  
  
"How...did you..do that?" he asked. Mardera grinned.  
  
"What? Surprised that you were too slow and that I was too fast?" she asked. The other Skull Kids gritted their teeth like the one before.  
  
"Come on guys, she can't dodge all of our shots at once!" he shouted. The other nodded, and the other broke out of his trance of shock and also nodded. They all put their lips to their flutes and shot a dart from each. The three darts soared at Mardera, and she knew she couldn't dodge them. So instead, she lifted up her scimitars, and blocked each one as it bounced off one of the great curved blades. They all just froze in shock to see all of their attacks denied so easily. Mardera finally pulled her blades down and grinned at them.  
  
"How do ya like that?" she asked. They all just stood there still frozen in fear and shock before she lunged at them. They all then each let out one scream as they tried to run away. Mardera grinned again and flew at them. The first she kicked right in the back of the head, and knocked him flat. She then rushed at the other and killed him with one good slash. The other was now climbing up the small ledge. Mardera knew she probably wasn't going to be able to catch him, so she just threw her scimitar out like a javelin straight at the Skull Kid. It struck him in the back, and he let out one quick yell of pain before he died.  
* * * * *  
  
Varnash fought Mirren and Nepsana fiercely. Even for his size, he was pretty quick and agile. He used such strength in every attack from his axe that it'd often create huge dents in the ground when it hit. He roared in fury and kept on attacking as Nepsana dodged and parried the blows. They couldn't find a way to hit him, and desperately tried to think of any plan.  
  
"Darn it!" said Mirren in his head, "he's too God darn strong! If either one of us went in for an attack, we'd get chopped into two from that axe!" Varnash then roared again and went for a vertical slash. Mirren jumped away just in time as the axe crashed into one of the fences and just shattered it.  
  
Seeing he was somewhat distracted, Nepsana rushed in at him and was ready to attack with her pike. She yelled in anger and fury, and Varnash turned around.  
  
"Foolish girl!" he shouted, and gave a mighty slash with his axe. Nepsana instantly stopped, realizing she couldn't evade the attack. At the very last second she lifted her pike up and blocked the shot. Unfortunately though, the force was incredibly powerful, and sent her flying. She let out a yell and finally crashed into the ground.  
  
"Nepsana!" Mirren yelled, and gritted his teeth. "Darn him, I gotta distract that idiot so she can recover. Yo moron!" Varnash now looked over at Mirren, he grinned. "Come on ya big fat oaf, come and get me ya porker!" Varnash now gritted his own teeth and yelled in rage. He charged at Mirren and grasped his axe with both hands. Mirren now looked a little more serious as he realized he really ticked him off and was risking his life at this. He jumped up to the one rope bridge and began to run across it to buy more time for Nepsana.  
  
"Nice try boy, but you won't be gettin' much farther!" Varnash yelled, and sliced the rope bridge with his axe. It broke apart, and it slowly began to fall to the ground. Mirren realized he was only a few feet from his part collapsing and jumped to the other pillar where it connected to. He landed nicely, but soon Varnash charged at him. He swung his axe at the pillar and split it in two.  
  
Mirren then jumped at Varnash and stuck his foot out. He came flying at him and kicked Varnash right in the forehead. He grunted in pain and staggered for a few seconds as Mirren landed gracefully on the ground. He noticed he had slightly wounded Varnash, and rushed at him with a yell of fury. He jumped at him, and held his sword in the air. He was about to connect with a great jumping slash before Varnash suddenly threw his hand out and wrapped it around Mirren's throat. He got up as Mirren struggled, and finally applied the pressure as he strangled Mirren. He gasped for breath as he felt his lungs burn and not be able to produce any oxygen for him. Varnash laughed.  
  
"Nice try kid, but I am obviously too much for you" he jeered, "tell me someday what's it's like to have your neck crushed....in the afterlife that is!" Varnash was then about to put on even more pressure before Nepsana got up.  
  
"Let him go Varnash!" she yelled, "he has nothing to do with this, he's only trying to help me. Please, stop your attack; and I'll come back with you.." Varnash grinned evilly.  
  
"I don't think so girly" he replied mockingly, "you will never be forgiven for what you've done. You'll come with me yes, but by force. And I'll kill this kid right now just to make you suffer!" Nepsana gasped in shock as she heard his words. Tears began to form in her eyes as Varnash then tightened his grasp on Mirren's throat. Mirren screamed in pain.  
  
"Mirren! Nooooooo!!!!" shouted Nepsana. Varnash laughed diabolically as Mirren somehow ignored all pain and lifted up his blade. In one quick thrust, he slammed it into Varnash's arm. The Moblin roared in pain and instantly dropped Mirren as he clutched his bleeding arm. Mirren hit the ground, and slowly got his breath back as Nepsana watched in shock. He narrowed his eyes.  
  
"What are you waitin' for!?" he yelled to her, "Finish him off and get your revenge Nepsana!" She now looked at him a little surprised, but soon nodded and wiped away her tears. She got in a battle stance with her pike, and narrowed her eyes as Varnash finally looked over at her. She screamed in fury, and charged right at him. Varnash gasped in shock as his mouth hung down; he knew what was coming next.  
  
She finally did a thrust with her pike, and gored Varnash through with it. He let out a gasp of pain and shock as he felt the pike literally skewer him. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he dropped his axe. He finally closed his eyes and his head fell down as he body went limp. Mirren watched from where he was in shock as he saw a crimson spike coming out from Varnash's back.  
  
"My God" he whispered, "she really stabbed him straight through his body..she really is a pretty good fighter!" Nepsana now finally threw Varnash's dead body off her pike and glared at him as he lay there with blood stilling pouring from his arm and now his terrible gash in his stomach. She did this for a few more moments before walking over to Mirren. He was still coughing a little as he finally began to get all of his breath back. She came over to him, and knelt down next to him.  
  
"You okay Mirren?" she asked. Mirren turned his head for one second to spit.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine now" he answered. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The battle still went on for a little while even though Varnash was killed. Nepsana and Mirren had both ran into the battle and helped Link and the others drive the remaining monsters off. After a while, the Zerdocks and Wolfos retreated back into the Lost Woods, and the Moblins followed. But Link and Mirren didn't have any intention of letting them get away. They pulled out their bows, and shot down every last living Moblin.  
  
The village was now terribly wrecked and was a mess. There was blood everywhere, incredible gashes in the ground, destroyed fences, the rope bridge was totaled, the large stepping stone was broken, the Training Grounds was a wreck, and one of the pillars was smashed into splinters when Varnash hit it. Even though it was getting close to midnight, everyone began to help clean up. The Children cleaned up and threw away all the rubble, while Link, Mirren and the others cleaned up all the dead bodies. They had taken them all into the Lost Woods; and either buried them or tossed them into a few creeks and ponds.  
  
Author's Notes: We finally get some good ol' blood, gore, violence...and more blood. God I had fun typing this chapter. Hope all of you (except the ones with weak stomachs) liked when Nepsana gored Varnash through. But I can't accept all credit for that. It was shike77 who gave me the idea for using the pike. So thanks, and that one was for you! Oh yeah, this is kinda a spoiler, but not really either. Someone's going to die in the next chapter..but I won't tell ya who! And as always please review and tell me whatcha think.  
LittleLink 


	5. Epilogue Chapter 5: A Friend's Death

Chapter 5: A Friend's Death  
  
Emralda and Ganondorf had watched the entire battle. They saw every last second of the great fight, and smiled wickedly as they watched Mirren and Nepsana.  
  
"Well, yet another friend we can capture" said Emralda, "that child is just making it worse on himself." Ganondorf nodded.  
  
"I'm surprised, she's a good fighter, and possesses some great talent" he added. Emralda smiled evilly.  
  
"Yes, she'll add some excellent power to us, she should give us a decent enough source of energy" she replied. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes a little.  
  
"I don't have any means to take her power my sister..." he said back. Emralda looked a little surprised and looked at him.  
  
"And why is that Ganondorf?" she asked. Ganondorf now smiled evilly.  
  
"Sure, she has good power, but it's not enough or even worth it in my mind" he stated, "I have a better plan we can use her for to hurt Mirren..." Emralda cocked her head curiously.  
  
"And what might that be?" she asked. Ganondorf turned to her.  
  
"I believe it'll be even better this time that we actually kill a couple of his friends before we capture everyone to take their powers" he began, "I have a couple other ideas, but I definitely think she'll be a perfect target for this. We can kill her right before Mirren's eyes on the day we attack the castle." Emralda liked the plan, but still seemed a little skeptical of it.  
  
"But brother, that'll enrage him terribly, then he'll use the Triforce of Justice.." Ganondorf put a hand up and cut her short.  
  
"I no longer fear that Triforce at all" he said, "we'll be incredibly powerful all ready that day by the time we do this since we'll already have the Sages power, and we'll take the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Wisdom from Link and Zelda right there if it really comes to it. But believe me Emralda, we will be much too powerful this time, and when Mirren comes to our castle after we capture everyone and take their powers, we'll slaughter that stupid boy." Emralda now understood everything and smiled sinisterly at Ganondorf. But even though she liked the idea so much, she still had a question.  
  
"What are the others we will kill?" she asked. Ganondorf shook his head.  
  
"I don't have any ideas yet, but I'm sure if we watch him closely, we will find one" he replied. Emralda smiled again.  
  
"We are truly the evilest, most powerful duo in Hyrule my brother, and once we finish off Mirren and his friends, we can conquer it just as we promised all those years ago..." Ganondorf smiled back at her the same way and nodded.  
  
"There is nothing that can stop us now Emralda, we will be victorious, and get our revenge..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next morning at Kokiri village, everyone hat gotten up pretty early even though they barely got any sleep from the night before. Link, Mirren, Mardera, Jarlis, and Taursus had already gotten their things together and were ready to leave, and Nepsana also joined with them. The six warriors all stood at the entrance to village as they said goodbye to all the Children who stood in front of them.  
  
"Thank you so much, thank you for saving the village" Saria gratefully said. Link smiled.  
  
"Don't mention it Saria, we had to do what was needed to be done" he replied. Nepsana now looked a little ashamed.  
  
"Yes, I'm so sorry Saria" she began, "because of me, this all happened. I put all of your lives in danger. Because of me, the whole village almost got destroyed. I'm sorry that this had to happen to you. This was all my doing..." It seemed as if Nepsana had tears in her eyes as she turned away. Saria only smiled again.  
  
"No Nepsana, you have no reason to be sorry" she replied. Nepsana now looked a little surprised as she looked at Saria. "It wasn't you fault, it was Varnash's. He was after you in the first place, and you were only trying to escape his evil clutches. It's something that we all would've done. Nepsana, we took you into our village, so in a sense it's also our doing that we were attacked. And had we not, none of us would've made a new friend.." The tears in her eyes then began to slowly fall down Nepsana's face, and she smiled.  
  
"Thank you.." she whispered. Everyone else smiled. They were all happy that Nepsana was finally free from Varnash, and that she had great new friends and soon to be great home within Hyrule Castle.  
  
"Well, I think it's time we left" Link announced, "goodbye all of you." All the Kokiri smiled and said goodbye as he and the others went through the tunnel out of the village. Saria put her hands over her heart as she smiled. She watched Nepsana as she turned around and waved at her. She too now had a couple tears in her eyes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The six walked out of the tunnel and passed over the bridge through the Lost Woods. They soon came out of the next tunnel and were finally outside in the sunlight over Hyrule Fields. Their horses were still there, and Epona instantly ran up to Link. She literally plowed right into him as she nudged him. He laughed.  
  
"Man, someone missed me while I was gone!" he exclaimed as he began to stroke her neck. Mirren laughed a little also.  
  
"Yeah, I know what that's like after being with Artra" he added, "God those things literally get attached to ya once they see ya." Link looked at Mirren and smiled. He hopped on Epona, and Mardera, Taursus, and Jarlis got on theirs. Nepsana then looked around to see any other horses.  
  
"Hey Mirren, where's your horse?" she asked Mirren smirked as he reached into his pocket.  
  
"Well, Artra really isn't a horse, she's a pony" he replied, "and she's at Lon Lon Ranch. And I really don't ride her around like Link does with Epona, I use a different method of transportation." Jarlis rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh God, here we go again.." he mumbled. Mirren grinned at Jarlis and pulled out his redwood ocarina. He pressed it against his lips and began to play Goldenfire's melody. He played the smooth music for a few moments before finally finishing and putting the ocarina away. Soon a loud roar was heard, and Goldenfire flew down from the skies and landed right next to Mirren. Nepsana's eyes literally bugged out as Mirren smiled at Goldenfire and stroked his one wing.  
  
"This is my pet dragon Goldenfire" he said as he turned to her, "I've had him for years, and I ride him all the time. He also helps me fight sometimes." Nepsana just stood there as her mouth dropped and her eyes did wide in shock. Mardera laughed a little.  
  
"Don't worry Nepsana, I was also surprised when I saw that dragon" she began, "but believe me, there's nothing scary about. He's seriously like Mirren's big ol' puppy. But he's pretty shocking at first. I almost fainted when I first saw him!"  
  
"You're not the only one sister!" added Taursus, "God, I must've just stood there for a minute just mesmerized as my drool slowly created a puddle around me!" Everyone then began to laugh from Taursus's joke, but Nepsana still looked shocked. Mirren smiled at her and held out a hand after he hopped on Goldenfire.  
  
"Come on, we'll go slower for ya" he said, "believe me, you'll have a blast." Nepsana still looked a little skeptical, but got on anyways (reluctantly of course!). She got on behind Mirren, and looked around for anything to hold on to. "Just put your hands on his back, you won't fall off no matter what" he reassured. She did as he told her, and he looked over to everyone else. "Get going guys, Goldenfire needs a good deal of room to take off" Link smiled and nodded.  
  
"Let's go guys!" he shouted, and took off on Epona. The others followed, and soon, Mirren believed Goldenfire could take off.  
  
"Get ready..." he said to Nepsana. Goldenfire then beat his wings once and flew up into the sky. He went up pretty high and took off like a rocket. Nepsana first yelled in fright a little, but soon smiled as her eyes lit up.  
  
"Wow, this is soooo cool!" she exclaimed. Mirren smiled.  
  
"I told ya.." He replied, and made Goldenfire go even faster.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back at Hyrule Castle, Zelda was in the kitchens by herself making some delicious strawberry muffins. She had got the best strawberries she could find and had put a few chunks into each muffin. She then took strawberry syrup and poured a good deal of it on every muffin. Once she had done that, she put them on a big plate and was finished. Suddenly Faria burst into the room.  
  
"Hey Zelda, look look look!" she exclaimed. Zelda looked at her little sister and smiled with a laugh.  
  
"Calm down Faria" she replied, "now..what is it?" Faria smiled and showed her a beautiful dragon pendant. The rope part was black, and the pendant was a pewter dragon with a small sapphire in a sphere shape.  
  
"It's for Mirren, it'll be his birthday present from me!" Faria announced. Zelda's smiled again.  
  
"It's beautiful Faria, you really got him a great gift" she replied. Faria nodded happily.  
  
"I know, I got it at this shop at Kakariko Village for seventy rupees!" she spoke, "I had heard Mirren always wanted a cool pendant, so I got him this! I hope he likes it" Zelda chuckled a little.  
  
"I'm sure he'll love it Faria, and I hope you didn't forget another person's birthday..." she said with a grin. Faria laughed.  
  
"Don't worry, I didn't forget you, but you won't see it until the party" she replied. Zelda smiled.  
  
"Good, I'd hate to see my little sister forget about her older sister's birthday.." Faria laughed again.  
  
"I may be a little trouble at times, but I'm not a jerk!" she exclaimed. Zelda now laughed at her little sister's joke. She smiled at her and Faria smiled back. Suddenly they heard some familiar voices, and Zelda could swear she could see someone in green outside. They instantly bolted out of the kitchens and ran down the halls. They went outside, and saw Link, Mirren and the others. "You guys are finally back!" exclaimed Faria. Link smiled and hopped off Epona.  
  
"You bet, we saved Kokiri Village and defeated all the monsters that were attacking it" he replied, "We also made a new friend..." Zelda and Faria suddenly noticed Nepsana as she and Mirren got off Goldenfire. Nepsana instantly curtsied to Zelda and Faria.  
  
"Your highnesses.." She began, "my name is Nepsana. I am from Terlon Forest and met everyone when Mirren and Link saved me from a bunch of Moblins. It is an honor to be in your presences..." Zelda smiled.  
  
"Nice to meet you too Nepsana, and welcome to Hyrule Castle, I'm guessing Mirren as usual invited you?" Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"How the heck do you always know I'm the one to do that?" he asked. Everyone laughed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A few hours later, Zelda was in her room looking out of her window over Hyrule. The sun had now been covered up in clouds, but she still smiled at the kingdom which she would someday be the queen of. She had allowed Nepsana to live in the castle, and had showed her new room. Nepsana was very happy with Zelda's kindness, and had soon become pretty good friends with her. Everyone else had now gotten to doing their normal things now they were back at the castle, and everything was peaceful.  
  
As she stood there looking out her window, the door to Zelda's room slowly opened. Before the person had even come in, Zelda turned around. Once he did, she smiled. It was Link; who also had a smile on his face.  
  
"Hi Zelda" he said.  
  
"Hi Link" she replied. Link now closed the door, and locked it. He walked over to Zelda, and she still smiled. He smiled back at her.  
  
"It's great to finally be back at my home.." He said. Zelda smiled and moved a little closer to him.  
  
"It's even greater to see you..." she added. Link smiled at her and now took the love of his life in his arms. He held her close, and began to run his fingers through her long, dark blonde hair.  
  
"It just wasn't the same to see you there Zelda, perhaps that's one reason why fate has me living here with you in the castle" he spoke. Zelda looked straight in his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"Link, I feel the same way.." They both then closed their eyes as they leaned forward to each other. Their lips soon touched each other, and they kissed. They always remembered the first kissed they had shared, and it seemed like every time they did it after that, it got better. But this time...it was different.  
  
As they still did this, they both had sudden feeling rush through them. At the same moment, they both opened their eyes and stopped kissing. They both had surprise, and in a way worry in their eyes and on their faces.  
  
"Zelda, did for some reason...you, well...feel foolish when we just kissed?" Link asked. Zelda looked right at him and nodded.  
  
"I would've asked you the same thing...and yes" she answered. Link nodded back at her and looked away.  
  
"Maybe this is a sign Zelda.." He began, "and as much as I hate to admit it..a sign that maybe..we're not meant to fall in love.." Even though Zelda kind of felt the same way, she was a skeptical of Link's theory.  
  
"But after one odd kiss..?" she asked. Link now looked at her.  
  
"Zelda, when we just kissed, I felt that feeling like where you just realized you kissed another man's wife" he began, "it's just a figure of speech, but I felt almost foolish and ashamed at that moment..." Zelda also looked a little ashamed.  
  
"Ya know, I kinda felt foolish too; but why is this feeling finally coming now? After all this time?" she asked. Link now looked serious.  
  
"Because, I believe it's that our love blinded us" he answered, "Zelda, look at Ruto. She had loved me for years and was seriously engaged to me. She had been after me as her husband for all that time. Then, she finally finds out she's the Sage of Water, and it's like her real love just vanishes. Zelda, you're also a Sage, and that's why Ruto broke our engagement. Zelda, as a Sage, love cannot get in your way...even if it's me." Zelda was shocked, and she showed it.  
  
"Link.." She whispered, "...that's exactly what I just thought of.." Link still looked serious.  
  
"I'm not surprised" he replied, "Zelda, at first, that kiss was great; but then it just felt terrible. Zelda, perhaps we really aren't meant to fall in love and be boyfriend and girlfriend. I mean, all this time, I really never did feel like we were that close." Zelda nodded.  
  
"I now feel the same way.."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren just stood in the hallway outside of Zelda's room frozen in shock. His jaw was hanging low, and his eyes wide in shock. He had just walked by the room a few seconds ago, but luckily didn't hear much. He only heard the last few sentences they said; but they were just devastating to him. He couldn't believe that they were feeling that way, and that the kiss they had just shared was so terrible. A million thoughts rushed through his head, and the door suddenly began to open. He knew if Link and Zelda saw him there, they'd suspect he was eavesdropping. So he walked back a few steps and began to walk by the door casually. Link walked out, and his face looked very disappointed and his eyes filled with sorrow in a way.  
  
"Are you okay Link?" Mirren asked. Link looked down at his younger brother, and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." he answered incredulously, "don't worry, there's nothing wrong..." Those were his final words before he just walked away. Mirren was shocked at this attitude and peeked in at Zelda. She looked the same way. There was a great frown on her face, and her eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow. Mirren felt terrible for the both of them.  
  
"My God.." He whispered to himself. Mirren then decided he should think of all of this with a good ride on Goldenfire. He would be alone (since Goldenfire wouldn't know what he was talking about) and could think of everything in peace. He ran outside and played Goldenfire's melody on his ocarina. The great golden dragon soon flew down next to him, and Mirren hopped on. He flew up into the cloudy sky; with millions of thoughts in his mind.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Emralda watched Mirren as he flew on Goldenfire through the sky. She smiled wickedly. "Brother, I think we have our first target to kill.." she stated. Ganondorf smiled the same way and nodded.  
  
"Perfect" he whispered. Emralda nodded to her brother and walked over to one of the stain glass windows. She held her hands up, and began to chant something. Ganondorf watched and was curious of what kind of spell was going to use. After a few minutes, she finally threw one of her hands down. Ganondorf now knew what she did. "The homing lightning bolt" he said. Emralda looked at him and nodded.  
  
"Yes, it'll kill that dragon in one hit" she replied.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren was now flying over Lake Hylia. The sky was still cloudy, but nothing that proved to be hard for Mirren to fly in. He just sat atop Goldenfire and thought of everything that was happening with Link and Zelda. Amazing, he felt terrible.  
  
"I don't believe it" he whispered to himself, "they're actually gonna break up? No, it can't be. Why the heck has this happened? Why don't they feel they should be together? Man, this is terrible. I should be kinda happy considering now that I don't have to worry about Link since I like Zelda; but God darn it I'm always happier when they're together!" Mirren gritted his teeth. "I gotta get them back together somehow!" He then just sighed as suddenly a clap of thunder was heard and Mirren was rather surprised.  
  
"What the heck....?" Then, a lightning bolt came from the sky and struck Goldenfire. It made him roar in pain, and Mirren yelled in fright and surprise as he and Goldenfire were sent plummeting to the ground. They both landed hard on the small island in the middle of the lake. There was a huge crash from Goldenfire, and it shook the area. Mirren groaned in pain as he lay on the ground. His entire body was throbbing from the wall, but slowly got up. He looked over at Goldenfire; and suddenly noticed his wasn't breathing. "Oh no..." he whispered as tears formed in his eyes. He ran over to his dragon, and threw himself against him. He tried to find any movement on his body to show he was breathing, and still alive. But unfortunately; he didn't. He knew he was dead. "Goldenfire...no..." Mirren said, and to began to cry terribly. Tears poured from his eyes as he wept like never before. He still rested on his friend's body, and his tears began to fall on it. He cried for long minutes, and suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.  
  
"So kid, what's it like to see your dragon die right before your eyes?" it asked. It was an evil voice, and a feminine one. Mirren's eyes widened in shock as he froze.  
  
"No way.." He whispered. The voice laughed diabolically.  
  
"That's right, it's me, Emralda!" it shouted, "me and Ganondorf have come back from the dead, and are ready to get revenge on you! We've only begun kid, the death of your dragon is only the beginning of suffering for killing us last time and ruining our plans. We'll get our revenge kid, let me explain the plan to you. We've decided to capture all the Six Sages and harness their energy for ourselves. Then we'll capture all your friends and take their energy. We'll also steal Zelda and Link and take their Triforce pieces. It's like killing two birds with one stone, we'll be capturing your friends to make you suffer, and take their energy to make me and Ganondorf the most powerful beings in Hyrule. And we'll be doing all of this on the day before your birthday, so you have some time to be with all your friends before they're all gone!" Emralda's voice then laughed diabolically again, and disappeared. Mirren was still frozen in shock that they had come back with an even more sinister plan. But that all left hid mind when he looked at Goldenfire's dead body and began to weep terribly again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren just lay there crying over the dead Goldenfire for close to a half hour. He just kept on crying and crying until it seemed he had no more tears to shed. His eyes were red as ever from the weeping, and he sniffed as he got up. He looked at Goldenfire one last time before turning away and beginning to go back to Hyrule Castle on foot. He knew everyone there could help him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren's walk back was very long, and tiring for him. He wasn't use to walking such a distance ever, considering he did pretty much flew on Goldenfire every time he needed to get some where. Along the way, he began to cry a little more, and he felt just terrible. In about an hour, he finally made it back to Hyrule Castle. He went inside, and went to the feast hall. He had a feeling everyone was going to be there, and he was right. Even Malon was there visiting, but he could only think of Goldenfire for the moment.  
  
"Hey Mirren, where were ya, I was startin' ta get worried again" Link stated. He finally noticed how red Mirren's eyes were. Everyone else noticed it, and were a little concerned for Mirren.  
  
"Are you all right Mirren?" asked Zelda softly, "what happened?" Mirren sniffed as a few more tears began to roll down his cheeks.  
  
"Goldenfire...he's..he's...dead" he answered in a whisper before more tears poured from his eyes. Everyone just gasped in shock; they couldn't believe what Mirren had just said.  
  
"How? How in the world did he die?" asked Link. Mirren now looked up at him with his reddened eyes. He had even more tears in them, but sniffed the back.  
  
"I was flying over Lake Hylia, and suddenly there was a clap of thunder..." he began as he sniffed again, "..then a bolt of lightning came down and struck him in mid-air. We both fell to the island in the lake, and when I got up..he wasn't breathing. Then I heard Emralda's voice.." Everyone gasped in shock again. Link's eyes widened in shock as Zelda put her hand over her mouth. "Emralda...?" she asked fearfully. Mirren gulped and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, she and Ganondorf are both alive, and they're coming back to get revenge on me once again" Mirren began, "they killed Goldenfire, and they're gonna capture all of you, and the Sages. They're gonna harness all of your energy for themselves, and they plan to take your Triforces Link, Zelda..." Everyone couldn't believe what Mirren was saying; and they all knew it was true.  
  
"No way, not even I knew of this, and I'm one of the Sages..." Impa whispered. A few more tears came from Mirren's eyes. He now looked at Zelda.  
  
"Yeah, and they plan to do all of this before our birthday Zelda, they plan to ruin it" he said, "they've killed Goldenfire, they're gonna take all of you again and steal the Sages. They're gonna be the most powerful ones in Hyrule, and they plan to take over it and kill me.." Now Mirren was really crying. "My worst nightmare is coming back..." he whispered, "but now it's even worse!" Mirren then just lost it and cried just as he did before. He fell into Link's arms, and his older brother held him as he wept terribly. Link looked down at him and also almost felt like crying. He hated to see Mirren this sorrowful.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A little while later, Link played the Serenade of Water on the Ocarina of Time and teleported everyone to Lake Hylia. They all went over to the island where Goldenfire still lay dead. Taursus, Impa, and Link all went over to Goldenfire and lifted him up. It was mainly Link doing it, and it was only because of the Golden Gauntlets that he was able to lift Goldenfire. They all then gently placed him in the water, and let him sink down to the bottom of the lake where he could rest in peace for eternity.  
  
Mirren cried the whole way through, and everyone else stayed by him to comfort him. Zelda had put her arm around him and Faria stood right next to him. She had given him one of her handkerchiefs to help wipe his tears, and he did. It was a very sad and terrible time for everyone. But they still did everything in their power to help Mirren.  
  
Malon had offered for Artra to stay with Mirren at the castle for a while. He first refused, but she told him Artra would be incredibly happy to spend some time with him. He finally gave in, and on the way back to Hyrule Castle, they stopped at Lon Lon Ranch for Mirren to get Artra. Once he did, everyone except Malon returned back to Hyrule Castle.  
  
* * * * *  
  
For the next few days, Mirren mostly stayed by himself. He would sit in his room all alone brooding. He just thought of everything that was happening now. His and Zelda's birthday was coming up, and Ganondorf and Emralda were back. They had come with a plan worse than before, and the first stage of it had already broken Mirren down. He would still mourn often for Goldenfire, and he would go out and ride Artra sometimes just get away from everyone to cry. He absolutely was terrified of Ganondorf and Emralda now. He feared for all of his friends' safety, and he feared for himself too. He feared for Hyrule, which would be taken over if he didn't stop them. He feared for the Sages whose powers would be used to help destroy and would be captured. But he was now most worried about his and Zelda's birthday. If he didn't stop them, then their birthday would be ruined.  
  
* * * * *  
  
One night Mirren was sitting outside in the gardens by himself. The birthday had drawn close as ever. In fact, it was only three days away. He sat thinking of everything as usual, and thought of how terrible this all was. Even though his birthday was coming, he dreaded it knowing it might not even happen. He knew that soon Ganondorf and Emralda would launch their attack to steal his friends, and if he didn't save them before the birthday; it would be ruined. He also thought of how powerful they were going to be if they captured everyone and took their powers. He knew he had the Triforce of Justice, but he had a feeling they'd still be more powerful than him.  
  
Nepsana and Faria watched him as Link leaned against the wall and as Zelda stood next to him. Nepsana felt terrible for him, but still had one, very important question.  
  
"I still don't get though, who is Ganondorf and Emralda.." She stared. Faria looked up at her.  
  
"They're the two most evil beings in Hyrule" she replied, "They're brother and sister, and both Gerudos..." Nepsana's eyes widened.  
  
"You're talking about Ganondorf, the King of Evil?" she asked. Faria nodded.  
  
"Yeah, the one who tried to conquer Hyrule four years ago, but Link and my sister stopped him..." Nepsana now looked at Link.  
  
"Now I understand it all, you're the Hero of Time, and you guys both hold a piece of the Triforce, I knew you guys looked and sounded familiar..." she said. Zelda nodded, but Link just still watched Mirren. Faria now began to speak again.  
  
"Yeah, Emralda is a sorceress, and Ganondorf is a great warrior" she spoke, "Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power, and is incredibly powerful. They did something similar to this before. They captured us all, and held us hostage at their castle until Mirren came and defeated them.."  
  
"Is that why their doing this?" Nepsana asked. Faria nodded.  
  
"Yeah I guess so" she answered. Nepsana nodded and looked over at Mirren. She now understood the whole story, and felt terrible for him. She considered him such a great friend after he saved her from the Moblins and helped her defeat Varnash. He even invited her to live in the castle, and considered her as his friend. She also realized she was in danger since Emralda said they were going to capture all of his friends. But she didn't care. After everything he did for her, she promised herself to stay loyal to him and stick by his side; even if it meant being captured by Ganondorf and Emralda.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ganondorf and Emralda had watched Mirren all the time as he suffered. They both enjoyed it, and were anxiously awaiting the time when they'd put their plan into action.  
  
"The boy has suffered greatly, just imagine it when he sees the rest of his friends disappear from him right before his eyes" said Ganondorf. Emralda nodded.  
  
"Yes, but I think there's something that needs to be added to our plan...." she spoke with a grin. Ganondorf looked a little curious.  
  
"And what might that be my sister?" he asked. Emralda turned to him.  
  
"I say we kill a couple more of his friends" she answered, "Nepsana yes, but I have another idea.." Ganondorf now smiled evilly.  
  
"Who's that?" he asked. Emralda smiled the same way.  
  
"Literally one of his best friends" she answered, "it'll hurt him, and especially Zelda..." Ganondorf instantly knew who she was talking about.  
  
"Great idea, I'll hurt both of those birthday fools.." He replied, "But we must focus more on the Sages.." Emralda nodded.  
  
"I have a feeling they'll all soon gather in the Chamber of Sages" she began, "they'll go there to discuss this whole ordeal I'm guessing, then you can send in whoever is to capture them..." Ganondorf smiled and nodded.  
  
"That's what I planned to do" he replied, "he'll do a great job, believe me, and I powered him up before. He's in what I like to call "magna" mode. He'll do an excellent job of capturing the Sages. Then we'll get their power..."  
  
"Wait a minute" interrupted Emralda, "we must watch out for Link and Mirren, they'll both do everything they can to save the Sages." Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"I wouldn't worry" he reassured, "the Sages will most definitely be captured before those two brothers can stop him from doing it." Emralda smiled.  
  
"Good, I'd love to see Link die..." she said. Ganondorf now narrowed his eyes a little and looked serious.  
  
"I don't want Link to die" he said. Emralda looked a little surprised.  
  
"And why is that brother?" she asked.  
  
"Because, we'll still need to get the Triforce of Courage from him" he answered, "and he'll be the one to capture Zelda.." Emralda now understood and smiled wickedly. She knew the method her brother would use.  
  
"Perfect" she replied, "there is no way this plan can fail. I can't wait until we capture everyone and take their powers. Then Mirren'll come, and we can kill him with our great new powers.."  
  
Author's Notes: Tragic isn't it? Yep, now we get to the more sinister, sad, and serious part of the story. It's the best! Thanks to the people who reviewed my story and sent me emails complimenting me! I appreciate it a lot! Now everyone who was a little anxious to see who died don't get mad if you felt Goldenfire dying was nothing big. I never made it out to be that way, but if you found it devastating and tragic, then good! And believe me dramachick020989, I never had the intention to kill Link. I swear if I did Mirren would cry so much Hyrule would flood WAAAAAAAY before the Wind Waker. I was thinking of giving some info on the next chapter, but I'd rather try and build some suspense and anxiousness in ya. I'll try to finish it this week, but I've got exams, so it'll be a miracle if I do. Finally as always please review and let me know how you feel!  
LittleLink 


	6. Epilogue Chapter 6: Capture of the Sages

Chapter 6: Capture of the Sages  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, just before you read this, I marked the places where characters speak in their heads with the ~ symbol. It's easier to know then when they're talking in their head, so I added them. With that said enjoy! And please review once you're finished. I have something else to finish with at the end.  
  
The next day, Mirren sat alone in his room once again. He remembered Emralda's words perfectly:  
  
"And we'll be doing all of this on the day before your birthday, so you have some time to be with all your friends before they're all gone!" Tomorrow was the day before the birthday, and he was terrified. He remembered the last time they pulled off their plan. He remembered how greatly he suffered from it, and the many times he cried. He would always remember seeing all of his friends being taken from him right before his eyes. The suffering it brought upon him was terrible; it was literally a nightmare. Now it was coming back, and he also feared the fact that if Ganondorf and Emralda took everyone from him, he wouldn't be powerful enough to stop them. Sure, he had the Triforce of Justice, but he needed to get incredibly enraged to use it. Also, he truly believed that they'd still be stronger. He knew the amount of power they'd both get from the Sages and all of his friends, and especially from Link and Zelda with their Triforces. He looked out his window at the night sky, and thought of everything.  
  
"How am I going to do this?" he whispered to himself.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link marched down the hallways with a serious look on his face. His eyes were narrow, and he didn't seem the least bit happy, or joyful. He knew that Mirren was hurting from everything, but wouldn't get anywhere in defending everyone if he just kept mourning and brooding. He was heading to Mirren's room, and was ready to say everything he had on his mind. As he walked through the halls, he came upon Zelda.  
  
"Link, where are you going?" she asked. Link stopped and looked at her with his narrow eyes.  
  
"I'm going to talk to Mirren" he answered, "he's sufferin' pretty bad, and ain't in no condition to fight at all. He's just been mourning for the past days. I need to help him get back to his normal self. Not the one that does nothing but cry when someone dies and every other of his friends' and loved ones' lives are on the line. I need to toughen him up, or else Ganondorf and Emralda will succeed.." He still looked at her for a few more seconds before beginning to walk away. But Zelda stopped him.  
  
"Just don't be too hard on him..." she said. Link turned his head to her.  
  
"Zelda, I'm gonna be as tough as I need to be" he replied, "Mirren must get tough, and the only way to do that is be tough on him. I know you like him a lot and don't wanna see him hurt anymore, I feel the same way. But he's gotta get this off his chest and stop moping. If it's tough I gotta be..then so be it..." He then walked off. Zelda still stood there a little surprised by Link's attitude, and soon sighed.  
  
"Poor Mirren, I hope he'll be alright..." she whispered.  
  
Link walked a little ways more until he finally came to Mirren's room. The door was closed, and he was as determined as ever to do as he told Zelda. He put his hand on the door handle, and opened it up. Mirren was sitting on his bed thinking as usual, and he turned to see Link's serious face.  
  
"Hey Link...what's up?" he asked. Link closed the door.  
  
"Bro, I need ta talk to you..." He replied.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the Chamber of Sages, the Six Sages had gathered to discuss everything with Ganondorf's and Emralda's plan. They were all a little worried about it considering their powers and lives were at stake. They knew they had to meet all together soon, because if they did it tomorrow, Ganondorf's creature would have a much easier time getting them since the plan was to commence tomorrow. Everyone soon arrived, and they began to talk.  
  
"Fellow Sages" began Rauru, "we are in right one of our greatest problems in our history. Ganondorf and Emralda plan to capture us and hold us hostage in their castle, and then steal our energy to become stronger. All together we have a great source of energy, and if those two got a hold of it; they'd be close to invincible.." Impa looked a little grimmer.  
  
"Yeah, and then Mirren would have an even harder time fighting them..." she added, "He could die for all we know. And if he did, then there'd be no one to save Hyrule, and especially his and Zelda's birthday.." Saria looked a little concerned.  
  
"How is he doing?" she asked. Impa turned to her for a moment, but soon looked down at the floor.  
  
"Terrible" she replied, "for the past days he's been in his room alone mourning and brooding. The only time he really ever leaves is to ride Artra, but even then he's alone, and is still doing the same. It's taken quite a toll on him. I hope Link'll be able to talk some sense into him." Ruto looked a little confused.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked. Impa looked over at her.  
  
"Link is going to Mirren to talk to him" she began, "he's going to try and toughen him up. He's gonna try and pick Mirren's spirit up. He's gonna do his best to get him to stop moping and just being all alone. Hopefully he'll succeed, because Mirren'll never be able to defend everyone, or even fight for that matter in his condition." Ruto nodded.  
  
"So I see, poor kid, he's really hurting" she said. Darunia now nodded.  
  
"Yeah, Goldenfire dying really affected my sworn little brother" he added, "those stupid fools, I'd do anything to make them pay!!"  
  
"Calm down Darunia" stated Nabooru, "I wanna do the same, but we've got other matters to stick to. We gotta make we can save our skins from Ganondorf and Emralda. I know it sounds selfish, but if we're captured, Mirren and the others are in A LOT of trouble.." Rauru nodded.  
  
"Yes Nabooru, you're totally correct" The room then went silent as the Sages realized they had nothing more to say. The situation was tense, and things weren't looking too bright for the moment. They all just looked worried and grim, but Saria was more concerned for Link and Mirren. She closed her eyes.  
  
"~Please Link~" she said to herself in her head, "~please help Mirren. Help him to get out of this state, and get him back to the courageous, strong- heated child that he is. I know you can do it Link, you're his older brother, and there's no better for this job. Please Link, save Mirren from his state right now. Mirren is the only one who can save us and defeat Emralda and Ganondorf. And if he fails...all will be doomed......~"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link looked Mirren straight in the eye. Mirren had never seen his older brother so serious and so stern for the entire time he'd been living with him. He waited for Link to speak, and he soon did.  
  
"Bro." Link began, "you gotta stop this..." Mirren looked a little confused.  
  
"What are you talkin' about Link?" he asked. Link looked even worse.  
  
"What am I talking about?" he asked crossly, "....I think you know Mirren. You've been acting like a coward and a fool lately." Mirren was shocked by Link's words, and his face showed that. Link continued speaking. "All you've done is mope, cry, and just do nothing. Mirren, you've gotta toughen up, before it's too late! Ganondorf and Emralda said they'd commence their plan tomorrow...you can't fight like this!!! You're being a wimp God-darn it! Come on! Where's the Mirren I used to know that feared nothing and took action and planned when something like this happened!!!???" Mirren now looked away. He looked a little embarrassed, and ashamed.  
  
"I know that..." he whispered, "it's just that Goldenfire dying is too much on me..." Link's eyes were filled with anger.  
  
"TOO MUCH ON YOU!?" he screamed. Mirren cringed a little as Link screamed at him. He closed his eyes and still looked away. Link gritted his teeth. He grabbed Mirren by the shoulder and flung him around. He looked straight into his little brother's eyes. "Mirren, I understand that Goldenfire dying is hard on you.." he began, "...but what the heck are you gonna do if they capture all of us and take our powers Mirren!? What are you gonna do then!? Huh!? We'll be taken from you again, you'll be all alone! How the heck are gonna save us in this kind of condition!!!???"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Zelda was listening outside of the door to the conversation. She also cringed a little from how loud and how angry Link was. She had never heard him yell like that, and felt sorry for Mirren. She knew he needed some help. And if there was one person besides Link; it sure as heck was her. As Link looked into Mirren's eyes with such anger, Mirren didn't know what to say or how to react. As much as he wanted to toughen up, he just couldn't. Zelda knew this, and closed her eyes. She focused for a second, and was able to talk to Mirren mentally.  
  
"~Mirren, it's Zelda~" she began. Mirren heard her, and was surprised, but kept didn't give any hint to Link of what was happening. "~Mirren, I know how hard this is for you, but you must do what Link is telling you. It's hard for me to say this, but you are in a way acting like a coward..~" Mirren was thunderstruck by Zelda's words, but knew she was right. "~Mirren, you can't stay like this, you gotta get back to that warrior-self of yours. That is the only way you'll have any chance to protect us. We know you can do it, and believe it or not, you're the only one. Mirren, you've gotta save us and defeat them. The joy and happiness of our birthday is at stake, our lives, and even yours is at stake, all of Hyrule is at stake, and the Sages and our powers are at stake. Please Mirren, snap out of this, we're all counting on you. I'm especially counting on you Mirren....~"  
  
All of a sudden Mirren instantly felt empowered. Zelda's words were like a million blue potions combined. Her words made him feel great, and more courageous. His fear and sorrow instantly diminished, and felt strong. He thought of everyone, and Zelda especially, the girl he had a crush on, and felt as courageous and powerful as ever. He looked into Link's eyes, and no longer looked fearful, sad, foolish, embarrassed, or depressed. Instead, he looked determined and fierce.  
  
"Please forgive me for my recent, and foolish actions" he began, "I was a coward, and wasn't myself. I can be so much stronger, and that's what I am now. I'm sorry Link, I'm stronger now. I have more confidence..I'm ready to defend everyone and fight Ganondorf and Emralda. I'll do everything in my power to make sure mine and Zelda's birthday is a joyful time, I'll also make sure that I do my best to protect everyone from their power and plan. And I won't let any of you die; even if it means dying myself...." Link no longer looked mad. His eyes were no longer narrow, and they were no longer filled with such anger. His face as a whole didn't so mad and serious; and he actually smiled at his little brother.  
  
"Thata boy" he said messing up his hair, but the brotherly, affectionately way. "That's my little bro, now you can actually fight, and you're not just moping anymore. I knew you'd come around; you always did..." Mirren smiled back at Link and fixed his hair in one quick motion.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready..I'll take 'em on and protect everyone" he replied. Link now looked a little more serious.  
  
"That's good, but you really won't be able to protect the Sages, it'll be better if they all stay apart so it's harder for Ganondorf and Emralda to capture them. And you won't be able to be with them all the time..." Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I know that" he said, "where are they now?"  
  
"They're all at the Chamber of Sages I guess, discussing this whole ordeal" Link answered. Mirren's eyes widened in shock. He looked very worried.  
  
"They can't do that!" he suddenly shouted. Link was a little surprised.  
  
"What's up Mirren?" he asked. Mirren looked right into his brother's eyes and still looked worried.  
  
"They can't all be together at the same time!" he replied, "Ganondorf and Emralda'll get them easier!"  
  
"Mirren, don't worry" interrupted Link, "they said they're gonna do the plan tomorrow, they're not gonna.."  
  
"Yes they are!" Mirren now interrupted, "Ganondorf and Emralda will take any chance that's the easiest to capture them! This is the perfect time! They don't care what they told us; they'll double cross us in a second to get their hands on them and get their powers! Then that leaves even less work for them tomorrow! The Sages are in grave danger...we've gotta get them outta there!!!" Link now realized Mirren was right and nodded.  
  
"Alright, we'll go right now" he said, "just let me go to my room real quick and get the Master Sword and stuff." Mirren nodded back as Link bolted out of the room. He opened the door, and began running down the hallways without even noticing Zelda was there. Mirren crawled over his bed and grabbed the Thunder, Ice, and Fire Diamond off his dresser. He ran over to the wall and grabbed the Goddesses' Sword off it. He strapped it and the scabbard to his back and also ran out of the room. He went out, and was about to run to Link's room before he noticed Zelda. He stopped, and turned around to her.  
  
"Me and Link gotta go to the Chamber of Sages Zelda, we gotta" he began before Zelda put her hand up.  
  
"I heard everything Mirren" she replied, "I'm sorry I listened in on the conversation, I wanted to make sure you'd be alright..." Mirren was a little surprised that Zelda really cared about him that much, but realized that she did really like him. He nodded.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it" he replied. He then began to run away before he stopped again. He stood with his back facing Zelda for a few seconds. "Oh yeah..Zelda." he said. He then turned around. "..thanks..." Zelda smiled and nodded.  
  
"No problem.." She replied. Link then came flying down the hall and stopped at Mirren and Zelda.  
  
"Hey Zelda, we gotta get going to the Chamber of Sages and get them outta there before Ganondorf and Emralda try to capture them all" he stated. Zelda nodded.  
  
"I already know" she said, "go on. But please, both of you be careful..." Link and Mirren both nodded. They then looked at each other, and also nodded. They then ran off to the Temple of Time. Zelda still stayed in the hall, thinking of them. "~Please, don't either of you get hurt...~" she said in her head.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ganondorf and Emralda watched as Mirren and Link ran as fast as they could from the castle to the Temple of Time. They burned through the area that used to be the Hyrule Market and ran up the slopes to the Temple Entrance. They went through the doors and bolted to the chamber where the Mast Sword would stand. Link and Mirren both went to the Pedestal of Time, and Link held his hands high in the air. The six Medallions the Sages had given him floated over to the stone design of it on the floor and rested there. A great amount of blue light surrounded the area, and Link and Mirren traveled to the Chamber of Sages. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"Well, I never knew that those two could actually get into the Chamber of Sages on their own.." He stated. Emralda nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yes, I believe it's quite impressive" she added, "but it's not like it even matters. No matter what they do, we'll still capture the Sages right now. No matter what they do, we'll capture them in a second. Then your little friend can do whatever he wants with them. You sent him out...right?" Ganondorf nodded.  
  
"Of course" he answered, "and I simply told him only to make sure they don't stop us from capturing the Sages, and injuring them the best he could without killing them. Besides, if he does live, then that's one extra great guard for our citadel against Mirren and whatever friends he brings with him." Emralda then thought of something.  
  
"Ya know, he's gonna probably get the Goddesses' help again, they're pretty tough" she began, "I think we'll need some really powerful guards for them..." Ganondorf smiled.  
  
"I've got it covered.." He replied. Emralda's eyes lit up.  
  
"Great!" she exclaimed, "who are they?" Ganondorf smirked. He was going to tell her, but then looked into the magical fire and saw that Link and Mirren were almost at the Chamber of Sages.  
  
"I'll tell you later" he said, "but for now let's watch and see how everything goes..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren and Link finally appeared in the Chamber of Sages. The blue ring of light still surrounded them, but soon it disappeared. The Sages instantly noticed them, and were a little surprised.  
  
"Link, Mirren..what are you two doing here?" asked Rauru.  
  
"Yes..this is a little unexpected..." add Nabooru. Link looked serious.  
  
"You all have ta get outta this place now.." He began before Ruto interrupted him.  
  
"And why is that Link?" she asked. Link turned and looked at her straight in the eye.  
  
"Because, Ganondorf and Emralda are gonna try and capture you guys while you're all in the same place" he answered, "It'll be much easier for them to get you all!"  
  
"But brother, she said they're gonna start their plan tomorrow.." corrected Darunia.  
  
"Yeah, they wouldn't attack now.." added Ruto. Mirren's eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth. The Sages were still skeptical. And if he didn't do something to get them out of there; there'd be some MAJOR trouble.  
  
"GOD-DARN IT WHY WON'T YOU GUYS JUST LISTEN TA REASON FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIVES AND JUST DO AS WE SAY YOU'RE SAGES AREN'T YA, YA SHOULD BE BELIEVING US AND GOING WITH THE CORRECT PLAN!!!!!!" he screamed jumping up and down in anger. Everyone's eyes just bugged out in shock of Mirren. They never saw someone go so berserk in their entire lives; especially a kid! Mirren breathed from the massive yelling and jumping as he glared at them all. Rauru knew the seriousness of the situation and nodded.  
  
"He's right everyone, let's go..." he announced. The Six Sages were then about to teleport away before suddenly a crystal surrounded them all and trapped them in it.  
  
"NO!" Link yelled as the Sages looked around in confusion. Mirren went into complete shock. The Sages beat against their crystal and tried to escape, but mostly just looked afraid and nervous as they realized they were trapped. A loud, evil laugh was heard, and everyone instantly recognized it.  
  
"It's Ganondorf.." Mirren whispered.  
  
"That's right boy!" Ganondorf shouted back, "it looks like the Sages are all mine!" Ganondorf laughed again. "I knew those crystals would work, just like they did on Zelda. Ha! Well well, what are you two fools gonna do know? There's no way to save them now, they're all mine and Emralda's. Their power will be an excellent addition to ours." The crystals then floated up into the air.  
  
"Link! Help us!" Ruto screamed. Link just stood in shock as he watched them all fly up. As much as he despised to admit it; there was no way to save them.  
  
"LIIIIIIIIINK!!!!!!" Saria yelled. With that; the Sages and the crystals disappeared. They had been captured.  
  
Mirren did the same as his brother. He stood there with widened eyes of shock and his jaw lowered. He could barely speak, only terrified and shocked gasps came out.  
  
"No.." he whispered, "they're gone...all of them.." Link then lost it. He screamed in rage as loud as ever as it echoed throughout the chamber. Every last one of the Sages were great friends of his, and they were all gone now. He pulled out the Master Sword and Mirror, and glared up into the air.  
  
"Come and fight Ganondorf!" he yelled, "come fight us now so I can kill you right here for taking my friends!!! I'll make you and Emralda pay!!!" Ganondorf's voice laughed.  
  
"Heh, you actually think I'd waste my time?" he asked, "I'd kill you way too easily. You're no longer a challenge or threat to me Link. Only Mirren is, but once I steal his other friends, and you and Zelda..I'll no longer even worry 'bout him. Face it, me and Emralda are too powerful, and we'll be even stronger once we take yours and everyone else's powers. And you Mirren..shall pay..." Mirren gasped again and was shocked at everything. He was literally frozen. Link still gritted his teeth. Ganondorf laughed again. "But don't worry Link, I still have someone to fight the both of you. He'll be rather familiar to you, and should prove to be an even greater challenge for you this time. Link..Mirren...meet Magna Volvagia!!!!!"  
  
Suddenly there was a great roar heard throughout the chamber. It echoed, made it shake. There was a great flash of golden fire, and another loud roar was heard. Once the flash disappeared, there floated Volvagia in the air. He was much larger than before, and seemed to be a little of a golden color. His mane of fire was bigger, and also golden. His mask shined greatly, and that seemed to either silver or platinum. This time he now hand absolutely huge wings, that were also golden and shined from the great fire. He roared again, and Link just stood with his eye widened in shock and his mouth hanging down.  
  
"My God.." He whispered... "He's back..." Ganondorf laughed.  
  
"You better believe it Link!" he shouted, "Volvagia is twice as powerful before since I powered him up into his new Magna Form. He'll certainly prove to be quite a challenge. Oh, but don't worry, no matter what happens Volvagia won't be killing you. If he did that, then I and Emralda would never be able to take your Triforce Link...and kill you Mirren!!!" Ganondorf's voice then let out one last wicked laugh before it disappeared...leaving Mirren and Link to fight Magna Volvagia.  
  
"....Well bro, you fought him before, whata suggest we do?" asked Mirren. Link finally broke out of his trance and put away the Master Sword and Mirror Shield. He grabbed the Megaton Hammer and held it firmly in both hands. He narrowed his eyes, and got in a battle stance.  
  
"I'll hit him in the head with the ol' Megaton Hammer, and you attack his body or whatever with your sword..got it?" Link said back. Mirren nodded. Volvagia then roared again and flew at them. "Ready Mirren!?" Link yelled. Mirren nodded again. "Good! Alright; let's take 'im out!" Link then charged at Volvagia as Mirren followed. The great fire dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a spray of fire upon them. They both jumped to the side and dodged it. Volvagia then sent his whip-like tail flying at Mirren. The young warrior saw it coming and dodged it again. As he attacked Mirren with his tail, Volvagia spewed more fire out at Link. The blast came flying at him and he rolled forward just in time to evade it. He got up and ran at Volvagia. He jumped and did an insane smash with the Megaton Hammer on Volvagia's head. He heard the hammer crack up against his mask, but Volvagia still fell from the hit. As that happened, Mirren took advantage and stabbed Volvagia in the lower body area. The dragon roared in pain, and suddenly got up and charged at Link. He rammed his head and fire mane straight into him, and sent the Hero of Time flying with a yell of pain. Mirren gritted his teeth and tried to stab Volvagia again. The dragon roared in fury again and then spun its head around and quickly shot a fire ball at Mirren. He couldn't block it, and was hit dead on from it. He yelled in pain as it knocked him back and scorched his body. He groaned in pain for a few seconds before slowly getting up and shaking to get rid of the stars. He finally was fully up, but unfortunately he walked right into another attack. He saw a great beam of pillar fly at him, and the next thing he knew, he was sent flying again burning. He crashed hard on the ground, and Volvagia roared in success. He then looked over at Link who was slowly getting up. Volvagia almost seemed to smirk. He opened up his mouth again and sent another beam of fire flying at Link. The blast came flying at him; and it seemed as if Link was going to be incinerated. But at the last second, he jumped out of the ay and got a sudden energy boost. He charged at Volvagia and screamed in fury. He brought the Megaton Hammer to the side of his head and was ready to attack. Volvagia just froze. Link then jumped at the great dragon and did a huge swipe with the hammer across his face. Volvagia grunted in pain and smacked hard into the ground with the side of his head hitting first. Link relentlessly attacked once and lifted the Megaton Hammer above his head. With another yell of fury, he brought the hammer down and literally crushed Volvagia's head. He roared in pain, and soon stopped. Link lifted up the hammer, and the platinum mask on Volvagia's face began to crack. Link watched in astonishment as the cracks opened up and grew all over the mask. Soon there were just too many, and it shattered. The countless pieces of metal were sent flying, and Link was shocked at what he saw.  
  
"No way..." he whispered, "I just totaled his mask..." Volvagia groaned from the attack and slowly lifted himself up. He was bleeding from the head a little from the attack, and looked a little woozy. He shook his head and finally realized his mask was gone. He saw some drip onto the floor, and his eyes lit up with anger. He let out a deafening roar, and glared at Link. He let out another roar and flew at the Hero of Time. He lifted up his right claw and did a slash across Link's body. He yelled in pain as his tunic ripped and his skin split open. Volvagia then lifted up his left claw and slashed at Link again. He screamed in pain again and staggered greatly. Volvagia attacked again, and luckily Link was able to lift up the Megaton Hammer in time to block it. But unfortunately the hammer was knocked from his hands and he was still sent flying. He landed hard on the ground and rived in pain from the intense stinging of his slashes. He looked to his body, and he was bleeding from the chest. The blood flowed and began to stain his green tunic. He groaned in pain, and his head fell back. Volvagia actually seemed to laugh as he slowly flew over to Link. He was soon floating above him, and Link opened his eyes to see Volvagia. He was still hurting, and wanted to get up more than anything, but the pain was too much; he just couldn't move. Volvagia then opened his mouth, and it began to slowly grow. Link closed his eyes and knew he was about to be burnt pretty badly. Volvagia was just about to unleash a terrible fire beam at point blank range on Link's body before Mirren finally got up.  
  
"Come on Volvagia!" he yelled, "Link can't fight anymore...I'm your target now!!!" Volvagia closed his mouth as he turned around. He looked a little surprised, but soon smirked and roared again. Mirren looked weak, and was barely even able to stand. Link looked up, and saw Volvagia charging at the defenseless Mirren.  
  
"No...Mirren.." he whispered. Volvagia got closer and closer as he opened his mouth. He got his claws ready and was ready to assault Mirren like never before. The boy still watched the dragon fly his way, and still just stood watching. Volvagia was then only a little ways away, and was about to attack. But just before he did, Mirren suddenly pulled out the Thunder Diamond and shot a blast at Volvagia. The dragon stopped in his tracks, and stared in shock of the oncoming thunderbolt. It hit him dead on in the face, and there was a huge explosion. Volvagia roared in pain and clutched his wounded face. The great blast and amount of wind pounded against Mirren, and he was barely able to stand against it. Everything soon stopped, and the dust cleared with Volvagia still howling in pain and holding his face. Mirren realized this was the perfect time to kill him. He pulled out a Blue Potion, and threw it at Link.  
  
"Drink it bro!" he shouted, "and finish him off once and for all!" Link slowly lifted up his head and grasped the bottle ignoring all pain. He uncorked it, and chugged it down. Once he was done, all of his wounds healed and he felt empowered. He jumped up and instantly pulled out the Master Sword. He calculated Volvagia perfectly, and just as he began to take his claws off his face, Link charged with a scream of fury. He jumped up, and held the Master Sword behind his head. Volvagia slowly turned and looked up at Link, and froze in shock; he was now only second away from death. As Link came down, he brought the Master Sword with him. He did a perfect jumping slash, and sliced Volvagia's head right off. It fell and crashed on the ground. It made a loud sound, and the eyes slowly lost their color.  
  
Mirren just stood breathing heavily from exhaustion as Link did the same. He was amazed at his brother's great attack, and was happy the battle was finally over. Link stood between the head and body of Volvagia as a pool of blood began to form around them. He stepped away, and pulled out a large cloth. The Master Sword was covered in crimson blood, and Link wiped it off. Once he did, he just stood for a few seconds before just collapsing. Mirren soon did the same, and fell to the ground. They were both incredibly tired, and had each taken quite a beating. They both just lay breathing heavily and resting, for they were both beat.  
  
They both rested for a little while before they both got up. Mirren put away the Goddesses' Sword and the Thunder Diamond. Link walked over to the other side of the chamber and retrieved the Megaton Hammer. He slipped it away, and walked back at Mirren.  
  
"Well, we did it.." He said. Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yeah; but Ganondorf and Emralda have the Sages..." he replied. Link now looked serious. His eyes narrowed.  
  
"I know that..." he whispered. A tear formed in his eye, but he quickly blinked it back. "We gotta get back to Hyrule Castle fast. It's probably midnight now; Zelda's gotta get flippin' out. We gotta make sure we can protect them all tomorrow. 'Cause if we don't; they'll capture everyone...including me. We gotta make sure we stop them. If we don't, they'll become incredibly powerful, and you'd have to somehow come save us and defeat us. And if you don't defeat them, then all of Hyrule, and all of us including you will be destroyed. Not to mention yours and Zelda's birthday.." Mirren now looked just as serious. He nodded.  
  
"I know..." he replied. Link now nodded.  
  
"Good" he said, "....well...ya ready ta go back?" Mirren simply nodded again. Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the Prelude of Light, and teleported them both to the Temple of Time.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link and Mirren appeared in the Temple by a blue light as usual. They both ran out and ran over to the castle. They ran up the paths and entered through one of the outside doors. They walked down the halls and found Zelda and everyone else in the throne room.  
  
"Oh, you two are back" she said a little surprised. She then noticed how serious they looked. "Oh no...please don't tell me they..." Link bowed his head.  
  
"Ganondorf captured the Sages..." he whispered. Zelda's eyes widened as she covered her mouth. Everyone else just gasped. Their mouths also dropped as they froze. They couldn't believe they had actually been taking. Zelda lowered her hand.  
  
"Then we're all next..." she stated. Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but count on any of you guys leaving" he said, "I'll make sure nothing happens. And Link'll be helpin' me even though they're after him too. I promise to do everything in my power to try and stop them. And I know you guys will also be doin' your best ta save your skins, so they got quite a force to deal with to get you all.." Taursus narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles.  
  
"You got that kid" he announced, "those two ain't gettin' me without a fight!" Mardera nodded.  
  
"Same here, there ain't no way I'm gettin' captured a second time!" she added. Link now narrowed his eyes and looked up at them.  
  
"You guys won't stand a chance.." He whispered. Everyone looked a little surprised. Taursus looked at him with somewhat angry eyes.  
  
"Whata you mean by that Link?" he asked. Link looked straight at him and glared.  
  
"I mean you guys are all too weak!" he shouted, "You all wouldn't last ten seconds in a fight against either of those devils! They're much too powerful now that they've got the Sages! Mirren and me are the only ones who could actually fight them. And even then they'd have a good chance of killing us. Just deal with it guys, I know it's hard to admit but just realize this time that you're helpless and can't do anything! Me and Mirren are the only ones who can stop them and save you...so don't waste your time and try and help..you'll only get hurt!!!!" Taursus was literally thunderstruck by Link's words. He never heard anyone say such things, and it enraged him to think he couldn't fight. He sneered, but soon turned away.  
  
"You're right..." he spat, "I can't do anything this time, none of us besides you two can. That's why you're the Brothers of Hyrule, you two were meant to fight them and save us. Forgive my arrogance..." Link nodded even though Taursus didn't see it. Zelda looked very worried.  
  
"Link, I'm scared..what are we gonna do?" she asked sounding fearful, "They're going to be so powerful, how can we stop them? And if they do capture us; how will Mirren be able to take them on with all of our powers..?" Link now looked at her. His eyes were still the same, but now showed some worry in them. He looked down at Mirren for a second. He had pure worry and fear in his eyes, and Link sighed. He looked back at Zelda.  
  
"I don't know Zelda, I just don't know..." Mirren then looked up into the sky through one of the windows. He looked up at the moon, and by the position it was in, he knew it was midnight. It was finally the day that Ganondorf and Emralda would begin their attack. He knew he had to do everything he could to protect his friends, for if he didn't; he and everyone's lives were certainly doomed.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, I actually was able to finish it even with three exams this week (yeah, I'm still in school, 7th grade stinks! I'm 12 for those who haven't read my bio) Hmmm.dedication, or no life? No life. Okay back to the story. Pretty suspenseful now huh? Oh believe it it's gonna keep gettin' better and better and better. The next chapter is gonna be when Ganondorf and Emralda attack, just to give a little info unlike last time. I really don't know when I'll finish that, I have six exams this coming week, and I gotta study this weekend. This is also my real last week of school, so I'll get it done REAL fast after it if I don't finish it. Well, there isn't much more to tell you all.oh wait! I just wanna say that this chapter is especially dedicated to the wrestling legend "Classy" Freddie Blassie who passed away Monday June 6, 2003. I was kinda depressed and sad since he was a funny guy and a great wrestler. I hope his family is able to deal with this whole ordeal as well as other friends. I hope you're happy in heaven pal. God bless your soul Freddie, you were great, and this is dedicated to you...  
LittleLink 


	7. Link's Little Brother Chapter 1

Link's Little Brother  
By LittleLink Author's Notes Okay, as some of you probably already noticed, I deleted Link's Little Brother (the big part). Now, the reason I did this is reasonable, so don't get mad and try to kill me! I realized that a couple people who reviewed my story were right, it'd be better if I split the chapters up a bit. That's why I'm doing this; hopefully I'll get more readers and more reviews (which I really want!) Now, if you've already read this, just keep on reading the epilogue, I'll update soon. But if you haven't, read this story first, and then go to epilogue. It's shorter now so it shouldn't turn people off because of the size. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It had been about 4 years since Ganondorf's demise. The memory still stayed with Zelda and Link. The battle that decided the fate of Hyrule and the Triforce. Link fought Ganondorf in his castle first. Deflecting energy bolts, shooting Light Arrows, and attacking with his sword. When he was defeated, the castle collapsed, but Zelda and Link escaped. But Ganondorf; wasn't dead. He erupted from the rubble, with pure rage in his eyes. He turned into the beast called Ganon and fought Link with two huge twin swords. Link had to fight with the Megaton Hammer since the Master Sword was smacked from his hands. The battle raged on until Link retrieved the Master Sword.  
  
He fought on and finally Zelda shot Ganon with an energy beam. It stunned him, and gave Link the chance to stab him in the forehead. Blood shot out, and Ganon roared in pain. The Sages then sent Ganondorf spiraling into the Evil Realm. Link and Zelda would always remember his final words.  
  
"Curse you Zelda! Curse you Sages! Curse you Link! Someday, when this seal is broken, that is when I will return and terminate your descendents!"  
  
Link and Zelda never returned to the normal time. Instead Link wanted to stay a young man. He loved Zelda, and he just could never not think about her. But he still felt Zelda only liked him as a friend, not as a true love. He lived with her in the castle (which had been rebuilt by the Sages and Goddesses), along with her little sister Faria. When the seven years began to pass, Zelda's mother gave birth to another little girl. But her mother soon died of an illness (along with her father, who died a year after Ganon's demise from an illness also). And with her acting as Shiek the whole time, Zelda never saw her sister. But now her sister was 11, and she spent a heck of a lot of time with her. She looked just like Zelda when she was younger; she was a spitting image of her child-self.  
  
She had actually made Faria her Princess Jr. She knew Faria would make a good princess, but after a couple more years. Link also liked her a lot. It made him think of the Kokiri children. At times, even he wished he had a younger sibling. But his mother was dead, and there was no way for him to get one.  
  
One day, Link was training at the castle. He practiced for hours with the Master Sword. He would chop trees and logs, weeds, and fought many warriors (including Impa who proved to be quiet the fighter herself). By about sunset, Link went into the castle for dinner. He went to the great hall and sat down by a nice full plate of food. There was roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and fresh peas. Soon Zelda and Faria walked over to the table and sat down with their own meals.  
  
"Hello, Zelda, hello Faria" said Link, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you two today."  
  
"Don't worry" replied Faria, "I understand that you have to train, that's what real warriors have to do." Link laughed.  
  
"Well I'm glad for that!" he said, "Say, did you two cook this?"  
  
"As a matter yes" answered Zelda, "I and Faria prepared the dinner just for us!" Link cut off some of his chicken and tasted it. The second he tasted it, his eyes light up and began eating more.  
  
"Wow! This is great!" he exclaimed, "absolutely delicious!!!"  
  
Faria and Zelda laughed as Link wolfed down his entire dinner rapidly. They soon then began eating; it was almost like they were a family. After about a half an hour, they all finished, and Faria went to read in the archives, leaving just Link and Zelda at the table. When she left, Zelda became a little more serious. Link noticed it right away.  
  
"What's wrong Zelda, are you okay?" he asked. Zelda looked at Link.  
  
"Link, I had a dream last night, and I think it's another prophecy" she answered. Link also then became more serious.  
  
"Really? About what?" he asked.  
  
"I can't tell you here, let's go to one of the balconies, I don't want anyone to hear" she said. Both of them got up and walked over to one of the balconies. It was actually a room with one wall missing, for a nice view. Link then locked the door so no one could enter.  
  
"Alright Zelda, what was your dream about?" he asked. Zelda paused before answering.  
  
"Well, it started out with a huge battle raging on" she began, "there was screaming, yelling, fires, fights and blood everywhere. A young boy similar to you was fighting greatly, until Ganondorf and some woman came in and annihilated him. Then you ran into the battle, and saved him from the two. The six Sages came, and drove away the evil pair. The fighting stopped, along with the cries, and the fires were put out. Then at the end, I saw you walking away from the battle, carrying the young child in your arms."  
  
Link was very confused. What in the world was the battle about? Who was the young child? And who was the other woman with Ganondorf? He sure had no idea, but maybe Zelda just did.  
  
"What do you think it means, Zelda?" he asked. Zelda shook her head.  
  
"I have no idea" she answered, "it made me think though, perhaps the young child was someone you really cared about. I mean, a Kokiri you like a lot."  
  
Link thought for a few moments. "That makes no sense" he began, "first off, there really isn't no Kokiri boy I like really a lot like I do with Saria. Also, the Kokiri aren't that of a fighting race. I may have been, but I'm actually a Hylian!"  
  
"I guess that's right, but it has to mean something!" Zelda said.  
  
Link once again thought. He tried to think of someone who could help him, but no one could come to mind.  
  
"Maybe a good nights rest will give us some brain power to think" he said, "I'm goin' to bed, good night Zelda!"  
  
Link then walked over to the door and unlocked it. He was about to leave before Zelda stopped him.  
  
"Link. you don't. love me. do you?" she asked.  
  
Link's body froze. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to say yes, but what if she didn't like him? But what if she did and he said no? She'd probably be crushed. But he decided to go with the second thought, and have the chance to save humiliation.  
  
"Of course not Zelda" he said, "but you're easily my best friend!" Link smiled incredulously, and left the room. He walked away sweating bullets, but luckily Zelda didn't see it.  
  
She was then all alone, her thoughts to herself.  
  
"I hope he was lying" she whispered to herself.  
  
Miles and miles and miles away north of Hyrule Castle, in the great citadel of Emralda, an evil plan was brewing. She was a young Gerudo woman, but chose instead to live in her land know as Herlassia. She was known as the queen of the land, but her heart was as evil as a demon. She was in her courts waiting for a special person. She had put on her favorite dress. A royal purple robe with golden stripes, with all sorts of rubies on them. She had long blood red hair that reached her back. Her eyes were surrounded by red eye shadow, and she wore a wonderful amethyst broach that was given to her by her own brother.  
  
She waited and waited until finally, the person she was waiting for, came through the doors. It was Ganondorf, in his black and blue armor with his shoulder length, fiery red hair. He had an evil smile on his face, but it pleased Emralda.  
  
"It's good to see you Emralda, it's been so long!" he said. Emralda ran over to him and hugged him. Ganondorf bowed and kissed her hand.  
  
"You're finally back my brother!" she exclaimed.  
  
The next morning, Link woke up pretty early. He had his nice breakfast once again made by Zelda and Faria. He had fresh Lon Lon Milk and a full plate of pancakes with Kokiri Syrup. Once he was done, he decided to take a nice ride on his beautiful stallion Epona.  
  
He rode swiftly and nicely all through the huge Hyrule Field. He jumped every fence, he followed every path, and even did a bunch of laps around Lon Lon Ranch. As he rode, he still thought of the prophecy Zelda had. Even after the long night's rest, neither of them got any ideas. They were still stumped. The two main things that made him think the most was the young child, and Ganondorf.  
  
"How was he there?" he thought, "he's in the Sacred Realm, or is he?"  
  
Suddenly Link heard the sound of battle cries and weapons fighting. It was coming from the forest. It was right from Terlon Forest (another forest in Hyrule that was home to Hylian Elves and normal Hylians. (The Hylian Elves were the same as normal elves. They lived in the forest and had long pointy ears, but grew older unlike Kokiri elves) He then immediately galloped away to the forest.  
  
At the battle, a legion of Moblins had attacked a village. The fighters of the village tried to fight them, but they were losing badly. But suddenly a young child yelled and charged into the fray. He was a Hylian with brown hair similar to Link's. (The style not the color) His attire was a green turtleneck, and brown adventuring pants. He was carrying a nice broadsword, but no shield like Link did.  
  
He attacked the moblins like mad. He slashed, cut, stabbed, and assaulted them like no other fighter, even though he was so young and rather small. The moblins attacked with their spears, but the young child dodged and blocked them. Soon, most of the moblins were lying on the ground dead, with bloody gashes and cuts all over them.  
  
But as the kid fought, Ganondorf and Emralda suddenly appeared. The young child looked at them and felt he had seen them somewhere before, but he didn't care who they were and what they were doing there. Even though he had no idea about why they were there, he ran at them and was about to attack. The two evil beings then smiled diabolically and shot dark energy bolts at them. They hit the child and quickly knocked him unconscious. They both laughed as they saw the child lay there knocked out cold. But suddenly, Link stormed in. He whipped out his Master Sword and shield and glared at Ganondorf and the woman.  
  
"What are you two doing here!?" he shouted.  
  
The two didn't answer, but instead grinned. Link got angrier by the second, until he noticed the young child laying in front of him. Then the Six Sages suddenly appeared in front of him.  
  
"Link, get that child out of here, we'll take care of these two!" said Rauru. Link nodded and picked up the child in his arms. He ran over to Epona and got on still holding the child. He then kicked Epona slightly and began riding off back to Hyrule Castle. The Six Sages glared at Ganondorf and the woman, who now looked somewhat terrified.  
  
"Alright, let's take 'em out!!" shouted Darunia.  
  
"With ya on that one Darunia!" Nabooru yelled back.  
  
The Six Sages then threw out their arms and shot their own special kind of magic. The beams of energy struck Ganondorf and the mysterious woman. But as they hit, the two turned into nothing more than what they really were, shadows. They soon were destroyed by the Sages' power, but Rauru was very shocked.  
  
"What!? How in the world!? They're only shadows!" He yelled.  
  
As Link galloped away, he turned around and saw what happened. He couldn't believe it. "What was going on!?" he thought. He didn't know, so he kept riding on back to Hyrule Castle, in hope he'd get some answers with what just went on.  
  
Back at Emralda's citadel, Ganondorf and she were sitting in her throne room watching everyone through some of Emralda's magic fire. The two were believe it or not; brother and sister. About 5 years after Ganondorf's mother gave birth to him, she gave birth to Emralda. The two got along quite well for the years they were together. When Ganondorf was about 16, he left to train to be a warrior, while Emralda went to become a sorceress. Before they left each other, the promised they'd some day conquer Hyrule together.  
  
They laughed in their evil tone as usual at the confusion of the Sages and Link. But what mainly pleased them, was the boy Link was riding with in his arms.  
  
"That must be him" Emralda said, "the boy we've been searching for."  
  
"Yes, only Link would've been there for him" Ganondorf added, "it's so odd how Princess Zelda's prophecies always seem to be right."  
  
"Well thank God for that!" exclaimed Emralda, "without her, I wouldn't have ever known about Link being there when that kid was attacked. Nothing better than my dream spies!"  
  
"Yes, and those shadows of us really fooled Link and the Sages!" replied Ganondorf, "but I'm still confused by those dream spies."  
  
"They're spirits that I can send into people's dreams to find out what they're dreaming about" answered Emralda, "I knew Zelda has prophecies, and that she'd probably soon get the dream about the whereabouts of that kid. The dream spies told me Link would be where the kid was. So when Link arrived here in the viilage, I knew that the kid he carried off is the one we've be searching for."  
  
Ganondorf was very surprised at his younger sister. She was as clever and intelligent as he was. "Impressive!" he said, "without you, I'd doubt this would've happen!"  
  
Emralda smiled diabolically. "Of course, that's why you and I must work together if we are to succeed" she said.  
  
Ganondorf smiled the same way back.  
  
"We will get our revenge on that kid my sister, I know It." he said. 


	8. Link's Little Brother Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Link rode as fast as he could. The kid was definitely hurt, and needed to be treated at Hyrule Castle as soon as possible. After a long ride, he finally made it. He rode into the courtyards and jumped off still carrying the kid. He stormed through the castle all the way to the great hall.  
  
Zelda and Faria, were there talking about things. They talked and talked until Link had burst through the doors with the young child in his arms. Faria gasped in surprise, but Zelda gasped for a different reason.  
  
"Link, what happened, who is this kid?" asked Faria.  
  
Link laid the kid on one of the tables as he caught his breath.  
  
"I don't have time to explain right now.." He answered, "We gotta fix this kid up, he's pretty hurt. We better do something now before it's too late!  
  
"I'll go get some medicine from the infirmary, he sure doesn't look like he's in good shape at all!!!" Faria said.  
  
With that Faria ran off to get the medical supplies. Zelda stared in Link's eyes. Link noticed Zelda's face of somewhat fear and worry.  
  
"What's wrong Zelda?" he asked. Zelda paused she answered.  
  
"It's my prophecy Link, the one in my dream, it's just like it started..." she answered. Link then just remembered the prophecy. He couldn't believe it, it was coming true. They both looked down at the child. He was still unconscious.  
  
"Who is he?" asked Link. Zelda had no answer. They both just looked at him until Faria came running in the great hall followed by Doctor Haniran (the head doctor at Hyrule Castle)  
  
"Alright, we've got the stuff" said Faria panting from her run. Link and Doctor Haniran quickly took medicines and bandages and began applying them to the child's wounds.  
  
"Faria, could you give me the Aloe gel?" asked Doctor Haniran holding out his hand. Faria grabbed the jar and handed it to the doctor.  
  
"Thanks" he replied, "Link, why don't bandage up his forehead, it looks like he got hit there." Link took the bandage along with some Henbane Lotion and bandaged up the child's forehead. After about ten minutes of fixing up, Doctor Haniran and Link finished. Doctor Haniran wiped his forehead.  
  
"Wow! That kid sure as heck got beat up, he should be alright though!" he said. Link gave a small sigh of relief.  
  
"Well at least that's some good news" he replied. He looked at Zelda, who looked back at him. Doctor Haniran knew the three should be alone, so he began leaving.  
  
"Well I'll you all to yourselves. If you think he needs a nice bed in the infirmary, just tell me!" he said. With that, Doctor Haniran left the great hall.  
  
Faria looked at the kid. Even though he was not in good shape right then, she kind of took a liking to him.  
  
"I hope he'll be all right like Doctor Haniran said" she whispered. Link noticed the concern.  
  
"He should, but my most important concern is, who is he?" he replied. All three then looked at the kid. They tried to find some clue, but to no avail. Then suddenly, Impa appeared before them. She had a serious look on her face.  
  
"Impa! You're back!" said Link, "what in the world happened back in Terlon Forest!?"  
  
Impa paused before she answered, it was quite a story. "I know you saw the shadows Link, but Zelda and Faria haven't" she replied. Link nodded as Impa turned to Zelda and Faria.  
  
"Alright, listen carefully" she began, "Ganondorf and Emralda had attacked a village in Terlon Forest. The young child there on the table fought to save his village, but Ganondorf and Emralda knocked him unconscious. I and the other Sages then came and destroyed Ganondorf and Emralda. Unfortunately though, they were only shadow spirits of the real people. Rauru said they were after the child, but I don't get why they didn't go there in person."  
  
Everyone though for a few moments before Faria asked a question.  
  
"Impa, who is Emralda?" she asked. Impa looked at Faria and gulped.  
  
"This is pretty shocking so be ready for a surprise" she said. Everyone looked at her in confusion before she answered. "Emralda. is Ganondorf's. sister."  
  
Everyone froze in shock. They couldn't believe what they just heard. Ganondorf having a sister!? It was like nothing they had ever heard of before.  
  
"No way, a sister!?" exclaimed Link. Impa nodded.  
  
"Yep, his own flesh and blood." Everyone still had a face of shock on their faces; it was just incredible that Ganondorf had a sibling. Link then thought of another thing Impa had said.  
  
"Impa, you said it seemed like Ganondorf and Emralda were trying to find the kid, but what would they want with him?" he asked. Impa shook her head.  
  
"I wish I had the answer to that Link, but not even I, or any other of the Sages know why they wanted him." Everyone then looked at the child. He lay on the table still unconscious, Impa felt sorry for him.  
  
"Poor kid, he took quite a beating and isn't even dead. He fought incredibly well, he's like you Link." she said. Link looked at the kid. He felt some strange feeling within himself, like he almost knew him in a special way.  
  
"He is like me" he whispered.  
  
Suddenly a huge bird flew onto one of the window sills in the great hall. Faria was a little surprised, but Link's eyes lit up as he saw the huge bird. "Kaepora Gaebora!" he exclaimed, and ran over to the huge owl who smiled at Link.  
  
"Good to see you again Link, it's been a while since I last saw you!" he replied, "I see you've grown big and strong, I remember when you were still a child, boy were those some funny adventures!". Both of them laughed as Zelda walked up to him, she had a face of surprise on her. Link immediately noticed it.  
  
"What's wrong Zelda?" he asked.  
  
"You" she said to Kaeproa Gaebora, "are you, the Messenger of the Goddesses?" The large owl nodded.  
  
"Yep, that would be me Princess" he answered, "and I've come with some news for all of you."  
  
"Really, what is it!?" exclaimed Faria. Kaepora laughed.  
  
"Settle down little one" he said, "It's very important, so I'd suggest you listen, it's about that boy." Everyone looked to where the owl pointed his wing, right at the injured child. Everyone was once again shocked.  
  
"What is it, Kaepora Gaebora?" asked Link. The owl cleared his throat before beginning his long lecture.  
  
"You see, many years ago, when that child was about only six years old, Ganondorf and Emralda had attacked the village he lived in. They were looking for the Triforce. It was believed that a piece of the Triforce was right there in the village, and someone possessed it. When Ganondorf had got there, the child had stepped in front of him. He said he wouldn't let him attack the village. Ganondorf had snickered at the boy before he hit him with an energy bolt. He thought he had killed him, but the kid got up with such rage for a little child. He attacked Emralda and Ganondorf with a special power like no other. Right from his sword came an incredible energy beam. It hit Emralda and Ganondorf head on and disintegrated them. Unfortunately though, they found a way to be revived. Everyone then thought that child actually had a piece of the Triforce, but that has been proven false since you Link and Zelda have a piece each, and Ganondorf has the other. The point is, that child is incredibly powerful and will soon become the hero of Hyrule. Link, you and that child have a special relationship."  
  
"And what might that be, Kaepora?" he asked.  
  
Kaepora was more serious than ever now before he spoke and as he spoke. "Link, you know that your mother had died shortly after she gave birth to you. But, six years later the Goddesses resurrected her from death for a short amount of time."  
  
"Why did they do that?" asked Zelda.  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't make sense, why would they resurrect her for just a short period of time like that?" asked Faria.  
  
"That is what I'm getting to" Kaepora Gaebora replied, "They resurrected her so she could give birth to one more child." Everyone gasped in shock before Kaepora continued. "Yes, they brought her back to life so she could give birth to a child whose destiny would be to save Hyrule from Ganondorf and Emralda. That child is the one who you brought from Terlon Link. That Link; is your little brother."  
  
Once again everyone gasped in shock. Their jaws dropped right down as they looked at the boy. They were in total shock, but Link was even worse. He couldn't believe he actually had a little brother, and he was laying on a table right before him. He had never actually taken the time to notice his appearance. He was a very small kid. He was thinner and was probably just five foot. He was also very light, when Link was carrying him, he felt like he was less than a hundred pounds! But he didn't care about his size. He could only stare in shock knowing that was his long lost little brother.  
  
"My, brother?" he said very quiet in shock. Kaepora nodded.  
  
"Yep, that's him, none other than that boy" he said.  
  
Link was still in shock, but asked Kaepora Gaebora an important question. "What, is his name?" he asked.  
  
"Mirren" answered the huge owl, "listen carefully once again, I've got another story to tell you. Don't be surprised if it seems Mirren is acting like a younger child than he is. That's simply because he knows he's the younger child, so he'll always feel very young. But that doesn't mean he's immature at all. Mirren's heart is like an 8 year old child, but his maturity is as good as yours Link."  
  
"How does he know that Link is his brother if he's never seen him?" asked Faria.  
  
"I suspected one of you would ask that" replied Kaepora, "You see, I'm one of his good friends, so I've told him about you Link. He had always wanted to someday find you and meet you Link, but unfortunately that day never came. He didn't know where you were Link, not to mention he still needed a little training before he could set out to journey all of Hyrule.  
  
"You mean, he actually knew about me, and he wanted to find me?" asked Link.  
  
"Of course!" answered Kaepora Gaebora, "who wouldn't want to meet your own brother!? Anyways be ready for him Link, he knows what you look like through me, so he's going to be really, really excited to meet you. Goodbye my friends."  
  
With that Kaepora Gaebora flew off into the sky. "He was something else, very intelligent" said Impa.  
  
"Yes" replied Zelda, "anyone who's the Messenger of the Goddesses must be like he was!"  
  
Everyone put a smile on their faces as Mirren opened his eyes. He rubbed his head and looked around.  
  
"Where am I?" he said out loud, "what in the world? What place is this? I'm dead aren't I?" He then looked to his side and saw Zelda. He then realized he wasn't dead, but was at Hyrule Castle.  
  
"Princess Zelda!" he exclaimed. Zelda smiled. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle Mirren, it's nice to meet you" she said.  
  
"Same here" he replied. Faria then walked over to him. "Hi there, I'm Faria, Zelda's sister" said Faria, "it's good to see you too."  
  
Mirren nodded. "Hi Faria, it's nice to meet you" he replied. Impa then spoke.  
  
"I'm Impa, it's nice to finally meet you Mirren. Mirren smiled.  
  
"Thanks!" he replied, "but how do all know my name?"  
  
Zelda pointed behind him. He turned around, and froze in shock; it was his brother. Link smiled as Mirren's jaw hung right down. "Kaepora Gaebora told us everything about you Mirren" Link said, "You don't even need to say anything."  
  
Mirren was still in shock until his eyes finally light up and his face a joyous one. He jumped off the table towards Link as he shouted "Bro!" Link caught his little brother in his arms as Mirren hugged him beyond all belief. Link kneeled down to reach Mirren's height.  
  
"Oh my God! I can believe it's you Link! I'm so happy to see ya bro, I can believe it!!!" Mirren said with tears in his eyes and his face in Link's shoulder as he kept his hug on his older brother. Link smiled.  
  
"Good to see you too, Mirren" Link replied.  
  
Everyone else in the room also smiled. The sight was just beautiful. A little child meeting his own brother for the first time almost brought tears to Zelda's eyes. She put her arm around Faria's shoulders and pulled her close. They both smiled at each, the moment really made everyone happy for Link and Mirren. 


	9. Link's Little Brother Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
For the rest of the day, Link had spent all of his time with Mirren. He practiced sword fighting with him, went to Hylia to fish, and took him to Kakariko Village. They went to the Shooting Gallery. Before, Link had given Mirren a wonderful bow, and helped him get good at it. At the Shooting Gallery Mirren did very well. In fact, he was able to hit all ten rupees and received a purple rupee as a prize. Once they were done with that, Link thought it would be nice if he took Mirren to Lon Lon Ranch.  
  
They ran all the way over there and entered the ranch. Mirren thought it was just absolutely beautiful. They first went to the house where Talon was, sleeping with his Cuccos.  
  
"Hey Talon, what's up!?" said Link. Talon got surprised and woke up. He jumped up a bit before speaking.  
  
"What in tarnation is goin' on around.... Oh Link, it's you! Sorry!" he said.  
  
"No problem Talon, I understand" Link replied. Both of them laughed until Talon noticed the boy beside Link. He looked at him for a moment.  
  
"Hey, who's that Link?" he asked. Link smiled and put his shoulder on Mirren's shoulder.  
  
"Believe it or not Talon, this is my little brother" he answered. Talon was very surprised. He would've never had expected to see Link with his little brother!  
  
"Well hey there little guy!" said Talon, "what's yer name?"  
  
"Mirren" he answered.  
  
"Nice name, Mirren" replied Talon, "hey, how would ya like ta play a little game?"  
  
"Sure" answered Mirren, "what is it?"  
  
Talon laughed. "Well, it's my favorite game, but it's also my hardest!" he answered, "I'll throw my three Super Cuccos into a mess of regular cuccos, and you must find them in thirty seconds to get the prize. If yer playin', it'll cost ya ten rupees."  
  
Mirren pulled out two blue rupees from his adult sized wallet and handed it to Talon. "Bring it on" he said with a grin. Talon smiled, Mirren reminded him of Link when Link was a boy. Talon then threw his Super Cuccos into the crowd of regular cuccos as Mirren dove in searching madly for the Super Cuccos. He searched and searched and found two of them.  
  
"Alright kid, this is the moment of truth! One more and you win!" shouted Talon. Mirren looked and looked, but couldn't find the last one.  
  
"Crud!" he said in his mind, "I've got like ten seconds left and I can't find the last Super Cucco!" Mirren just then noticed a cucco in a pile of hay. He dove in, grabbed it, and held it up just as time ran out.  
  
"Nice job Mirren! Ya won!" shouted Talon, "Come get yer prize!" Mirren ran over to Link and Talon as Talon fished out a bottle of fresh Lon Lon Milk. "Here ya go Mirren, the best milk in Hyrule!" he said handing the bottle to Mirren. He took the bottle and put it away in his pouch.  
  
"Hey Mirren, lets go see Malon, you'll love her horses!" Link said. Mirren nodded as they both began leaving the house.  
  
"See ya around boys! Come back again!" shouted Talon.  
  
"See ya!" Link and Mirren said back.  
  
They both then walked all the way over to the track where Malon was grooming a horse. She immediately noticed Link.  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad to see you!"  
  
"Same here Malon" he replied. They both smiled at each other until Malon noticed Mirren.  
  
"Hey, who are you?" she asked. Mirren somewhat froze. He thought Malon was kind of pretty, but answered without a nervous tone.  
  
"I'm Mirren, Link's brother" he answered. Malon's jaw dropped as her eyes light up.  
  
"Link, you have a little brother!?" she exclaimed, "That's so nice!" Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, he's quite a kid" he said putting his hand on Mirren's shoulder. Mirren smiled, the same went for Malon.  
  
"Hi, Mirren, I'm Malon, I'm one of your brother's best friends" she said, "It's nice to meet you!" Mirren nodded.  
  
"It's nice to meet you too!" he replied. Malon liked Mirren a real lot, she also thought he was kind of cute. Like Talon, he reminded him of Link as a child.  
  
"Hey Mirren, wanna see me ride Epona?" asked Link. Mirren looked a little confused.  
  
"Who's Epona?" he asked. Link grinned and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He then played the beautiful melody of Epona's Song. After he was done, Epona came galloping from Hyrule Field into the ranch. Mirren's eyes literary bugged out. She was huge! Not to mention absolutely beautiful!  
  
"Wow!" he exclaimed, "that's you horse!?" Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, none other horse better for me than Epona!" he replied stroking Epona's neck. He then jumped on Epona and began riding. He rode all around the track and then began jumping the fences. Mirren was even more amazed. He had never seen anyone ride so swiftly! So perfectly! So awesome! He was absolutely amazed!  
  
"Man, I don't what to say, he rides so greatly" he said. Malon smiled and watched Link too.  
  
"He is a great rider isn't he?" she said, "him and Epona are great friends; they've been together all their lives." Malon then thought about Mirren she turned towards and knelt down before him. She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled.  
  
"How would you like to try riding?" she asked. Mirren didn't know what to say. He thought the riding looked like a lot of fun, but he had never ridden a horse like Epona was before!  
  
"Well, ya see, I really don't think I can ride a horse like Epona I mean I've really never ridden before!" he said rubbing the back of his head with a little embarrassment. Malon laughed for a moment but soon stopped.  
  
"I'd never let you ride a big horse like that!" she replied still giggling a little, "you're too small, you'd get killed! But I think a pony like when Link first met Epona would suit you fine!" Mirren smiled a little even though he didn't really like the comment on him being so small, but he knew Malon was right.  
  
"Come with me" she said, "I think I know of a pony that's just right for you!" Mirren was still a little nervous even though it was just a pony, but he followed Malon over to the drinking porch. There, was a pretty brown pony. Her mane was black as the night sky, but he eyes shined in the wonderful sun. Mirren absolutely loved her. He just loved her beautiful sienna color hair. Malon told him her name was Artra. Mirren stroked her neck, and Artra loved it. Malon then taught him everything he would need to know in order to ride. Once she was done, Mirren got on Artra and walked around the track with her.  
  
"You're doing great Mirren!" shouted Malon, "now try and gallop!" Mirren nodded and pushed Artra forward. He gave a little kick to get her going, and it worked perfectly. She rode pretty fast for a pony and went all around the track twice in less than a minute! Soon Link and Mirren needed to get back to Hyrule Castle. They said goodbye to Malon, Talon, and Artra as Link walked with Epona and Mirren.  
  
They left the ranch and saw Hyrule Castle not too far away. The market was destroyed by Ganondorf when the seven years passed, but it was never rebuilt. Luckily though, everyone moved to Kakariko Village, so the shops were still around.  
  
"Hey Mirren, get on Epona, we'll get to Hyrule Castle quicker" he said.  
  
"I don't need Epona" Mirren said back. Link looked at Mirren quite surprised before bursting out into laughter.  
  
"You actually think you're faster than Epona!? That's hilarious!!!" he exclaimed as he laughed more than.  
  
"Of course not" Mirren replied, "I've got somethin' else!" Mirren then took out a beautiful redwood ocarina and played a wonderful melody. When he finished, he simply looked up at the sky.  
  
"Hey, what's gonna happen?" asked Link. Mirren grinned.  
  
"You'll see" he replied. Suddenly a loud roar echoed from the sky all the way down to the ground. Then a huge golden dragon was flying in the sky and finally flew down right by Mirren. He was about 20 feet tall, and was absolutely beautiful. His golden skin was like no other. You would think he was a destruction creature, but Mirren walked right up to him and jumped on top of him. He rubbed his head, and the dragon seemed to like it.  
  
Epona neighed and jumped up in fright, but Link was even worse. His eyes were bugging out, and his jaw was drooping incredibly low. "Who, is that!?" he yelled. Mirren grinned.  
  
"This is my dragon buddy Goldenfire" Mirren answered, "I fly him all the time. So, you still wanna have that race?" Link couldn't answer, he was speechless. He instead shook his head slowly.  
  
"I didn't think so" he said still grinning. He then flew with Goldenfire at an incredible speed towards Hyrule Castle. Link watched him fly the golden dragon and soon snapped out of his shock condition. He then finally smiled.  
  
"Man, I couldn't have gotten a better little brother" he said. He then got Epona ready and began following Mirren and Goldenfire.  
  
Emralda and Ganondorf were still watching Mirren. They smiled wickedly as they saw Mirren flying his dragon happily. "I'll betcha that smile will literary disintegrate once we begin the plan" said Emralda. Ganondorf laughed.  
  
"There's no doubt my sister!" he replied, "and we've already begun." Emralda looked at Ganondorf. "The pony and the dragon, great targets" she said.  
  
"Yes, but let's leave the dragon for later" added Ganondorf, "that's one of his best friends, and we always save the best for the end." Emralda nodded.  
  
"Yes, you're right" she replied, "We'll first capture his most loved ones from him. He'll most definitely be crushed, but I'm sure he'll be so enraged that he'll come here to fight us and try and get them back. When that happens, we'll kill him, and finally take over Hyrule together!"  
  
Emralda smiled at Ganondorf. She always knew he was clever, and intelligent, and his wickedness helped him even more.  
  
"Brother, who are the others we will take from him?" she asked.  
  
"Don't get ahead of you Emralda" he said, "I've still got one more plan before we start capturing everyone he loves the most." Emralda smiled. "  
  
You mean my special beasts?" she asked with an evil grin. Ganondorf nodded.  
  
"Yes" he answered, "Captain Gorg and the Ogre Pirates, The Wolf-Bear, and The Evil Phoenix."  
  
Emralda was evilly pleased with the answer. "I'll get them together right now" she said, "I'll send Captain Gorg and the Ogre Pirates to the Hyrule Sea, The Wolf-Bear in Terlon Forest, and The Evil Phoenix at Death Mountain Crater. That sound good Ganondorf?" Ganondorf nodded.  
  
"That'll be good, go tell them now, I'll stay here and watch the kid", "And then when he falls asleep, I'll give him the news." Emralda nodded and left. 


	10. Link's Little Brother Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
It had become night at Hyrule Castle, and the only ones still up were the night shift guards. Link and Mirren had quite a day, so they were very tired. They both went to their rooms and fell right asleep. Link was having pleasant dreams, but Mirren was having nightmares.  
  
He tossed and turned in his bed sweating bullets. In his dreams he saw a huge galleon attacking Hyrule from the Sea, a giant beast assaulting Terlon Forest, and a gigantic Phoenix setting fire to the Mountains. Then he saw Ganondorf and Emralda, smiling wickedly at him.  
  
"Kid, you defeated us once and killed us, preventing us a chance to get a piece of the Triforce" they said, "We never forget when someone does such a thing to us. These will be the punishments right now for what you've done. So unless you want Hyrule to be destroyed, I'd suggest you go and try and defeat them. And remember, this is only the first of our great plans to conquer Hyrule together and get revenge on you all those years ago. Goods luck!"  
  
Mirren sprung up. He was scared out of his skin and was breathing heavily. Never had he ever had a dream like this one. He couldn't believe the beasts that attacked Hyrule! But the scariest thing was Ganondorf and Emralda. He felt he had seen them before. (Mirren didn't remember the battle when he was younger) He knew one thing though, Hyrule was definitely in some kind of danger, and he was determined to stop it.  
  
The next morning Mirren told everyone about his dream. Surely enough too, Zelda had the dream also, only Ganondorf and Emralda had never appeared, just the beasts. Link found the dreams somewhat of a threat. And sure enough he was right. Kaepora Gaebora came by and told them of the creatures. He told Mirren and Link that they should go out and defeat the creatures to save Hyrule. They agreed and packed up their things. At about noon, they left, on yet another adventure. (At least for Link!)  
  
Mirren called upon Goldfire and got on him, while Link called for Epona. They decided they'd first go to the Hyrule Sea. The Hyrule Sea was north- west of Hyrule Castle and north of Lake Hylia. It was actually said that the waterfall from Gerudo Valley came from the Hyrule Sea.  
  
Link and Mirren traveled for a very long time before Mirren believed he was able to see it. He flew up a little higher and was then positive he had seen the Hyrule Sea.  
  
"Yo Link!" he shouted, "we're not too far now! It's right up ahead!"  
  
"Good spottin"!" Link yelled back, "Goldenfire is an excellent help for us!" Mirren smiled at his beautiful Golden Dragon and patted him on the head. Soon they traveled all the way over to the shore. Mirren landed perfectly and sent Goldenfire off, and Link sent Epona off. They instantly saw a huge pirate ship. They ducked in some bushes by a small glade and watched it.  
  
"That's the ship Link" Mirren said, "The one I saw in my dream, I'm sure that's our target"  
  
Link studied the galleon. He noticed that there were ogres on it, most definitely the pirates. "That's a start, but how do we get on it? There's no way we'll be able to swim out there and not be seen." Mirren knew Link was right, but quickly spotted a small boat on shore. It was filled with many bags of "booty" and had a flag with an ogre on it.  
  
"We can hitch a ride on that" he said, "We can hide in one of the bags and get a one way ticket to that ship!"  
  
"That's easy for you ta say!" snapped Link, "you're practically a midget, and you could fit in anything! There's no way I could fit in on of those bags!" Mirren glared at Link who did the same. He didn't like the whole "midget" comment but knew Link was saying what was true. He tried to think of a way Link could hide there. When he went over there to look, he found a way.  
  
"Link, that ale barrel is huge. All we do is dump out the stuff, and you hide in there!"  
  
Link didn't like the plan, but went along with it. It really was the only way onto the ship. As he poured the ale out, Mirren stuffed himself in a sack full of tunics.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" he said in comfort, "these clothes are comfortable." Link finally finished pouring out the ale. But as he did, he heard a couple of the pirates coming. He jumped in the boat and got in the barrel.  
  
"Quiet now Mirren, I think the Ogre Pirates are comin' back!" he whispered. And so they were. There were two of them, big armor dressed ogres with two new prisoners. There was a Gerudo woman, and a Hyrulian Sailor. They had been captured and tied up not to mention muffled with a large cloth around their mouths. They were soon to be slaves on the Ogre Ship. The pirates threw them in the boat next to each other.  
  
"Let's get back to the ship, I'm hungry!" said one of the Ogre Pirates. The other then pushed the boat out onto the water and began sailing back to ship. The waves were calm, so the ride wasn't that bad for Link or Mirren, but a little tight. Soon they reached the ship, and the two pirates began unloading the things on the boat. They first took the two prisoners and took them to the cells. Then they got the booty, including where Link and Mirren were hiding.  
  
"Boy, these sacks and barrels are a lot heavier than usual!" said one of the Ogres.  
  
"You just haven't been training enough, if you trained a little more, you wouldn't be so weak!" said the other.  
  
"Hey! I've been trainin' a lot and workin' like a dog!" snapped the other ogre pirate, "I know when somethin's heavy!"  
  
"Just quit ya bellyachin' and throw the stuff in the storage rooms!"  
  
The ogre pirates then opened the doors to the storage rooms and just threw the sacks and barrels in. Everything crashed on the hard wood, including Link and Mirren. Link was able to break off the top to his barrel and get out.  
  
"Man! Those Ogres were brutes! Ow!" he said rubbing his head. Mirren then came out from the bag of tunics he was in.  
  
"Tell me about it, they should learn to treat their booty a little better!" he shouted. They both got up and got rid of the pains.  
  
"Well, what do we do now?" asked Link.  
  
"I was first thinking of an attack outside on the decks, but I think it'd be better if we'd rescue those two slaves" he answered.  
  
"Great idea!" replied Link. They both then began searching the under parts of the ship for the cells. They had no idea where anything was, so it was quite hard. But after a good deal of looking, they found a room with the keys to the cells.  
  
"Well, it's better than nothing" said Mirren. Link then grabbed Mirren's shoulder and held him back.  
  
"Wait" he whispered, and pointed to two Ogre Pirates who were guarding the room.  
  
"So what, we just attack 'em and it's over!" replied Mirren.  
  
"No" snapped Link, "we can't let the other Ogre Pirates know we're here. We can't take 'em on all alone! But I've got an idea, come here." Mirren went over by Link as he whispered a plan into his ear.  
  
"Are you crazy!?" exclaimed Mirren, "that'll be the biggest flop ever!"  
  
"Come on bro" said Link with a grin, "it's bound to work. Not to mention I did your plan on the boat before!" Mirren glared at Link but soon stopped. He shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Why not, it really is the only plan that won't alert the others" he said, "fine." Link smiled.  
  
"Believe me, it'll work."  
  
The Ogre Pirates were bored. It was not a fun job to be a guard on the bottom of the ships. It was very moist, damp, smelly, and barely any light was shining in. They were soon becoming sleepy from the boredom, but when they saw a strange figure walking a little oddly into the room, they instantly became alerted and were no longer sleepy.  
  
The fellow was about as tall as them, and wore a long brown robe. They couldn't see his face, for he was wearing a mask similar to the Skull Mask back in Hyrule.  
  
"Hey, who are you!?" snapped one of the guards. The person paused before answering, and cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm one of the new recruits" he answered, "The cap'n hired mi and mi men as mercenaries a couple o' days ago. He wanted mi ta get the keys for the cells."  
  
The guards looked at the man strangely. He had a voice like theirs, but no Ogre Pirate wore a robe or a mask. Not to mention he was much thinner than them. But if he really was one of the recruits and was sent by the captain, they'd be smart to let him take the keys.  
  
"Fine" said the one guard. The strange person nodded and walked over to the wall. He took every single key that was there off the hooks and stuffed them in his pockets. He then took out a sword and smacked one of the guards in the back of the head with the handle. He instantly was knocked out and crashed on the floor.  
  
"Hey you!" shouted the other guard. But that was all he could get out before he too was knocked flat by the sword handle. He moaned in pain and finally fell to the floor. The strange person watched the two until he whipped off his robe and mask revealing nothing more than Link with Mirren on his shoulders. Both were smiling  
  
"Well I'd say that went well" Link said, "and to think you actually doubted my plan."  
  
"Come on bro, that wasn't the greatest plan ever so ya gotta cut me some slack on the whole doubting hoo ha." Mirren replied. Link looked at him strangely.  
  
"What's- hoo ha?" he asked. Mirren scratched his head and thought for a few moments.  
  
"Actually, I don't think it means anything, but I know I've heard it before!" he answered. Link laughed.  
  
"Let's just forget that and get to the real task." Mirren nodded happily and jumped down.  
  
"Okay, let's take the keys and get going, we'll do this together" Mirren explained. Link nodded and they ran off down the halls. Most cells were empty, so they kept on looking, but as they searched, they noticed that there were a few more guards around.  
  
"Mirren, you go find the two prisoners and I'll sniper the guards off with my bow" Link whispered.  
  
"No problem" Mirren whispered back. He then ran off down a hall where no guards were. Link silently pulled out an arrow and loaded it in his Fairy Bow. He aimed, and fired. It hit the guard in the back and killed him.  
  
He then kept going to take out the rest. He was able to find two in the armory and got them both by firing two arrows through some holes through the wall. Next Link checked a room where a table was full of food. Sure enough, a guard was there indulging himself with food and rum. Link was about to about to fire another arrow, but then noticed he was falling asleep. He closed his eyes, and conked out. Link instead then went over to him and wrapped some cloth around his ears so he couldn't wake up from any noise. Link left the room and came to the place where you could go up on deck. He put his bow away and was going to wait for Mirren. But soon, two Ogre Pirates ransacked him. He pulled out his Hylian Shield and Master Sword and tried to fight back. But the pirates he was fighting were bigger and tougher than the others, not to mention they already knocked him flat from the sneak attack. He could only hope Mirren would come by soon for help.  
  
Mirren had searched well. He quickly found the male prisoner in a cell by another storage room. He noticed he was sleeping, so tried to wake him up as quietly as possible.  
  
"Hey, wake up, I'm gonna free you!" Mirren whispered. The man slowly opened his eyes and then rubbed them.  
  
"Hey, who are you?" he asked.  
  
"My name is Mirren, and I'm here to stop the Ogre Pirates" Mirren answered, "but first I'm here to help you and that other Gerudo to escape." The man's face light up as he ran right over to the cell door.  
  
"Thanks so much kid, you're a lifesaver!" he said. Mirren then began using every key he to try to open up the cell. After the seventh one, he was finally able to unlock the door and let the man be free. "Wow, thanks Mirren" he said, "my name is Acro. I'm a sailor 'ere in these parts. I have a small boat that I sail on through the waters." Mirren then looked at the man. He seemed to be in his thirties. He had a soft indigo color hair that reached down to the middle of his back. He was a little taller than Link and wore a turquoise tunic with white pants.  
  
"Alright, I just gotta go get the other prisoner and then I can get back to my brother" Mirren explained.  
  
"I'll show ya where that Gerudo is, they tossed 'er in before me" said Acro, "Follow me!" Acro then took his weapons from one of the walls and ran down the halls as Mirren followed. He used a grappling hook, and a nice cutlass. Soon they came to the Gerudo, who didn't seem happy.  
  
"What are ya guys doin' here!?" she shouted. Mirren gulped in fear. She looked like one, tough Gerudo! She had a long ponytail that actually reached her back! She looked a lot like Nabooru, but wore a sleeveless blue vest with red stars on it.  
  
"I'm tryin' ta free you" he whispered nervously, "that way, me, you, this guy, and my brother can defeat those stinky Ogre Pirates." The Gerudo woman grinned.  
  
"Sounds like fun!" she said right back. Acro and Mirren then began taking key after key in hopes they'd find the key quicker. And they did. Acro found it and let the Gerudo out.  
  
"Thanks a lot guys, my name is Mardera" she said, "when I heard Ganondorf and Emralda had sent out Captain Gorg and the Ogre Pirates in the sea, I'd thought it'd be better if I'd leave the Gerudo Fortress to see if I could stop them."  
  
"You mean, you don't like Ganondorf or Emralda?" Acro asked with confusion. Mardera nodded.  
  
"Yep" she answered, "most of the Gerudos now hate him, especially with this. I've heard those two have two more attacks ready on Hyrule somewhere, but we can discuss this later, I want those pirates dead!" She grabbed her two great scimitars from the wall and put them in their scabbards. The three then began running down the halls to find Link. But Mirren feared something. Not the Ogre Pirates or Mardera anymore. But instead Ganondorf and Emralda. For some reason now, he began to remember seeing them before, very long ago. But he soon forgot that when he saw Link a bloody mess with cuts and gashes weakly fighting two huge guards.  
  
"Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink!!!!!!!!!" shouted Mirren. He whipped out his sword and jumped at the guards. He smacked one in the face with his shoulder and knocked him down. The other came at him and slashed him with his cutlass. It caught him in the arm, but he attacked right back and stabbed him in the lung area. The Ogre Pirate grunted in pain, and died. The other roared and ran at him.  
  
"Not so fast!" shouted Acro as he threw his grappling hook. It wrapped right around the guard's throat and choked him. Mardera then rushed in and kicked him square in the stomach. It knocked all the wind out of him and made his eyes bug out. But he soon closed them and fell down. Acro got his grappling hook back as Mirren helped his brother.  
  
"You okay Link?" he asked sounding worried. Link's blood flowed down onto Mirren's right hand as he coughed.  
  
"Not right now" he answered, "those guards attacked me from behind, so I had a little trouble." Link coughed up more blood as Mirren pulled out a Farie from his brother's knapsack. He took off the cork and let it fly into him. In only a few seconds, all of his cuts and wounds were healed and he was perfect.  
  
"Man! Gotta love those Faries!" Link exclaimed. Mirren smiled and got up with his brother. Mardera and Acro then walked over to them.  
  
"Alright, now the attack" said Mardera, "what's the plan guys?"  
  
Link got up and began explaining. "We really didn't take the time to make a plan" he answered, "but I'm trying to think of some way that we could take out a lot of them without them knowing at first." Acro knew of a way and instantly stated it.  
  
"There's an entire line of loaded crossbows between the two flagpoles" he said, "It's sort of like a cradle. There's a string attached to all the triggers of them so all they have to do is pull one end of the string and a whole load of arrows are fired. All we have ta do is go up there, aim them correctly, have someone get their attention, and fire 'em off!"  
  
Everyone liked the plan, and agreed that it was good. They would sneak up on deck unnoticed, and get up on the cradle to commence the attack. And that's what exactly what they did. They opened the door and looked for any pirates around. They made it up on deck and stealthily made it over to one of the ladders. Mirren went up first to knock out all guards on there. Since he was small and could conceal himself easily, he decided it'd be best for him to do it. He got up and noticed two guards. He got under a large cover and sneaked over to the guards. He took out his sword and knocked them out knocked with the handle. Everyone else came up and helped him carry the Ogre Pirates to one of the crows nest to hide them.  
  
As Acro then began aiming the crossbows perfectly, Mardera spotted Captain Gorg for Link. "That's probably him" she said pointing a large Ogre Pirate at the back of the boat sitting on a large chair with many others around him. He was much more muscular than the others and had an eye patch on his left eye. His steel helmet was round at the top and totally flat on the bottom. On top was a sharp spike, and a white turban surrounded the bottom of his helmet.  
  
"Wow, I can see why he's captain!" exclaimed Mirren. Mardera nodded.  
  
"Yes, he's also the most intelligent of them all, so he's an excellent choice for those fools" she said, "We must stop them!" Link grinned.  
  
"Don't worry Mardera, we will" he reassured.  
  
Acro just then finished setting all the crossbows correctly. "Alright, now let's get their attention and begin this" he said. Mardera looked over to a large amount of pirates and cleared her throat.  
  
"Hey you!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. All the Ogre Pirates looked towards her. "Yeah, you ugly idiots!!" she shouted, "Looks like we got on deck and in the cradle without you guys even noticing!!" Captain Gorg flew up from his chair. He glared at his crew.  
  
"You idiots!" he yelled, "you let them escape and even let two new ones on board! Get theeeeeeeeeeeeeem!!!!!" The guards pulled out their weapons and charged from both sides of the cradle.  
  
"Now Acro!" yelled Link. Acro pulled the string and let twenty crossbow arrows fly. The barrage hit the mass of pirates from one side and took out fifteen pirates. The others then began climbing the ladders in hopes they'd get up there. But Link and Mardera chopped off the ladders and knocked them into the crowds.  
  
As they did that, Acro was taking numerous barrels, boxes, crates, and crates and was dumping them onto the Ogres. They shattered on impact and took out a couple each. Mirren was right beside him using an awesome arrow technique. He loaded up four arrows (one arrow for each space between his fingers and thumb) and shot them. Each time a scream from at least three ogres rang out and they fell and died with an arrow still in them. In fact, not even Link could perform such a great bow and arrow technique!  
  
This assault went on for a little while before they all jumped down and began fighting hand to hand. Acro attacked with his grappling hook and cutlass, Link fought with the Master Sword and his Hylian Shield, Mardera assaulted them with her twin scimitars, while Mirren battled with his nice broadsword. It may have been thirty Ogre Pirates against four warriors, but Mirren and company did just fine.  
  
Captain Gorg watched everything from his chair and was absolutely disgusted with his crew. They were losing to only four warriors! He soon became just too angry and pulled out his awesome scimitar. It had a steel handle like a normal scimitar, but the blade was not a normal one. It was the tooth of a sea serpent that Captain Gorg had killed many years ago. He sharpened the sides so it made a perfect blade, and a terrifying one. He ran into the battle and attacked Mardera from behind. Mirren had noticed him, but not in time.  
  
"Mardera, look out!" he yelled. She tried to turn around, but felt Captain Gorg's blade slice her left shoulder before. She screamed and was sent flying. She smacked against the ground as Acro, Link, and Mirren ran over to her.  
  
"Mardera, are you all right?" Acro asked as Link knelt down behind her and held her. She didn't say anything, she just quietly moaned in pain. Link noticed the cut.  
  
"It's deep, and very bloody" he said. He then turned to Captain Gorg, who was actually smiling. Link's eyes narrowed. "You fool!" he exclaimed, "attacking a woman like that! You have no integrity whatsoever so stupid ogre!!!" Captain Gorg still smiled.  
  
"Well, if you think I deserve a little punishment how 'bout a duel?" he asked, "you win; me and my crew'll leave Hyrule. But if I win, I get to keep you as my slaves!" Link's eyes were still narrow.  
  
"Mirren, hold Mardera" he demanded. Mirren immediately ran over to Mardera and held her up. Link stood up and glared at Captain Gorg and pulled out the Master Sword and his shield.  
  
"You're on" he said. Captain Gorg grinned and lunged at Link. Link did the same and soon they were in a great fight. All the Ogre Pirates cheered for Captain Gorg as he attacked Link with his serpent tooth scimitar.  
  
"Mirren, stay with Mardera" said Acro, "In case something happens in that fight, I wanna be ready at all times ta jump in and help your brother." Mirren simply nodded. He looked at Mardera, who seemed to be in an extraordinary amount of pain. He then remembered the Lon Lon Milk he won at the ranch the other day!  
  
He pulled out the bottle from his knapsack and helped Mardera drink half of it. She drank the fresh, delicious milk and soon opened her eyes fully. It was like she'd never been hurt at all. "Wow!' she exclaimed, "that milk was incredible! I feel perfect, thanks Mirren! Mirren smiled at her.  
  
"What can I say?" he replied, "My motto has always been help my friends the best I can!" Mardera then smiled back at Mirren. She liked him a real lot. She thought he was nice, brave, and very mature for his age. He made her remember her young days, the best of her life. She now knew she had an ally, and a friend for life. Mirren helped her up as everyone watched the battle between Link and Captain Gorg.  
  
It was very intense. Captain Gorg attacked like a beast, and Link fought back the same way. They screamed at each other and slashed with their mighty blades. And even though the battle was incredible, no one had gotten a single hit in yet. Every time Captain Gorg went for an attack, Link blocked it with one of his weapons. And whenever Link attacked, Captain Gorg found some way to block it. The stand off raged on for a few minutes before one of the fighters finally got a hit it. Captain Gorg went for an awesome downward slash. But Link blocked it and smacked his arm away for a minute to do an intense slice with the Master Sword to Gorg's unprotected left cheek. The blade cut right through and knocked Captain Gorg sideways. A glob of blood flew from Captain Gorg's face and landed by his crew, who were just shocked. Captain Gorg knelt there breathing heavily holding his bloody cheek. Link gritted his teeth and ran over to him for another attack. But Captain Gorg got up and kicked him square in the chest.  
  
Link yelled in pain and flew all the way over to Acro. He landed against the floor and created a loud smack. Acro instantly helped him up and got him stabilized.  
  
"Thanks Acro, I needed that" said Link rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"No problem my friend" replied Acro," "just kill this fool for me" Link nodded and turned to Captain Gorg, who was waiting for a charge from Link. He did, and ran with the Master Sword and his shield in hand ready to fight. He jumped towards Captain Gorg ready for a jump slash. Captain Gorg had this planned and went for another downward slash. It was about to chop Link in half, but he fell right by Captain Gorg's outstretched legs and rolled under him. Captain Gorg couldn't believe the maneuver and tried to turn around to attack back. But Link drove his sword deep into his side before he could.  
  
He roared in pain like no other thing Mirren or Link had ever heard. The sound of screaming echoed throughout the entire sea, freezing whoever it came by in fear. Link finally pulled out the Master Sword, revealing the bloodiest gash he had even seen. Mirren's jaw hung down in shock, while Mardera and Acro almost turned away in disgust. The blood streamed down his leg as he knelt on the ground still screaming in pain. But Link had no sympathy for him.  
  
"Get up ya fool!" he shouted, "I thought you said you were so tough! You're pathetic!!!" Captain Gorg heard the insults and slowly got up. He grabbed his blade, and swung around in hopes he'd hit Link. But he did a back flip and pulled out the Fairy Bow. Link loaded up one arrow and fired it. It shot right into the bottom of Captain Gorg's unprotected right shoulder. He screamed again in pain as Link shot one more into the other shoulder. Gorg grabbed both shoulders and howled in agony. He fell to the ground gushing blood from four different places. Link's expression still showed no shock or sorrow. He put away the Fairy Bow and advanced over to Captain Gorg. He stood right over him as the pool of blood grew around Captain Gorg.  
  
"You are in no position to fight any longer" Link said dominantly, "I'll let you leave now with your life. Make the decision; leave; or die." All the Ogre Pirates stood in shock waiting for their captain's response.  
  
"Would he really surrender?" they all thought. Link still waited for an answer before Captain Gorg finally lifted his head up.  
  
"Well?" asked Link demanding, "Leave, or die?" Gorg smiled wickedly.  
  
"Neither" he answered. Captain Gorg then grabbed his scimitar and slammed it into Link's stomach. Link didn't even scream, he just gasped in agony and pain as his face went pale.  
  
"Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Mirren at the top of his lungs. His eyes began filling with tears as Link fell to ground. But soon, they dried up, and rage literally enveloped him. He pulled out his sword and charged at Captain Gorg. He screamed like no other warrior and pulled his sword back ready for an attack. Gorg turned around and saw the kid. Everything was happening too fast for him, and he wasn't able to block Mirren's attack. He did a cut right across Captain Gorg's right leg and sliced it down to the bone.  
  
Even with the hideous roar of pain from Captain Gorg, Mirren could hear his sword cut right through his bone, so in fact, it went deeper than thought. Captain Gorg instantly collapsed and crashed on the ground holding his leg and howling in pain. Mirren could see he injured Gorg enough, and ran over to help his brother. But the Ogre Pirates were angry with Mirren, and charged at him. Three of the pirates went in for an attack. But Mirren saw them coming and in three quick flashes of his sword, they laid dead. The other pirates gasped and back off as Mirren glared at them. He knelt down besides Link as Acro and Mardera came over to help.  
  
"Here, I'll lift him up for you Mirren" said Acro. He got behind Link and lifted him slightly up.  
  
"Mirren, use the rest of that Lon Lon Milk you used on me for my injury" explained Mardera. Mirren did as she said and took out the half full bottle. Acro lifted Link's head up as Mirren helped him drink the milk. After a moment, Link's eyes opened and he was on his feet alone.  
  
"Phew! Thank God for that Lon Lon Milk!" Link exclaimed. Everyone stood up and watched as Captain Gorg began getting up. He was moving very slowly due the massive amount of pain he was feeling. Everyone glared at him as suddenly one of the look out's yelled out a message.  
  
"Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea Serpeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnt!!!!!!!!!!!!" he shouted. Everyone gasped and went into complete panic. The entire crew of Ogre Pirates was running around yelling in fear. It was bad enough a serpent was coming, not to mention they were in no condition to defend the ship.  
  
"Whata we do Link?" asked Mardera. Link tried to think of some plan, but with all the Ogre Pirates screaming and running around, he couldn't think of a plan. He had never really dealt with Sea Serpents before, so this wasn't really an easy situation for him. He then noticed a small rowboat that they could escape in.  
  
"Guys, lets go in that boat and beat it!" he yelled pointing to it. Everyone then began running before a scimitar flew right by Mirren's face and almost sliced it. Everyone (besides Mirren who was literally frozen in shock) looked towards who threw it; it was Captain Gorg.  
  
"My God!" exclaimed Acro, "You just don't know when the heck ta quit do you!!!???" Captain Gorg didn't grin at the anger of Acro; he was just about as angry himself, only worse.  
  
"Because of you fools, my crew is gone, I'm gonna die of blood loss in about an hour, and my ship is gonna be destroyed by a stinkin' sea serpent!" he shouted back, "but I swear it by my own blood, I'm gonna kill at least one of ya before I die!!!" He waved his fist in anger as he spoke and suddenly realized the mist of water he was feeling and a large shadow growing around him. He saw Link and all the others faces of fear and shock as he felt a cold sensation shiver down his spine. He looked up and saw a huge dark orange sea serpent begin to come down for his kill. He screamed in terror as he lived his last seconds.  
  
The serpent brought his mouth full of sharp, sword-like teeth down on the area where Captain Gorg stood and got a mouthful. When he knew Captain Gorg was dead inside his mouth, he lifted himself into the air and swallowed everything he had in its mouth, including Captain Gorg.  
  
Link, Mardera, Acro, and Mirren still stood with bugged out eyes and faces of shock. Everyone couldn't believe what they had just seen, it was totally disturbing.  
  
"I.. I think I'm blind!" said Mirren. As that happened, all the Ogre Pirates were jumping overboard in hopes they'd escape the sea serpent. But the serpent noticed them and dove under water. Link and the others all watched as the serpent gobbled up every single pirate one by one. After minutes of seeing it, the serpent had eaten every surviving Ogre Pirate. He rose once again from the water and looked at Link, Mirren, Mardera, and Acro. He was very intimidating. In fact, not one of them took the chance to notice his characteristics. He was a very long, dark orange serpent with ruby red eyes and three sharp, pointy horns coming from the back of head. They actually almost seemed like a protective shield or helmet for him, and his head and face somewhat resembled that of a monitor. But whatever he looked like, everyone pulled out their weapons and got in their battle stances. Sure they still scared, but they knew if they wanted to live, they'd have to kill the sea serpent.  
  
"You guys ready?" asked Link. Everyone nodded.  
  
"Alright, let's do this" he said. The serpent suddenly lunged at the ship and tore another chunk off. Everyone had luckily jumped away and evaded the attack. The serpent spit all the planks and splinters from his mouth and glared at them.  
  
"Let's go bro" said Mirren. Link nodded and the two both charged at the serpent. It looked at the two charging fighters and once again lunged at them. Link and Mirren jumped away once again and they both did jumping slashes. Their swords tore through the serpent's skin and made him roar in pain. His tail whipped around the ship and destroyed the cradle. All the broken parts came crashing down as the serpent attacked Link with his tail.  
  
It wrapped around his body and made him drop his weapons. It applied quite a lot of pressure and crushed the life out of him. Link screamed in pain and fought his hardest to escape. It crushed his stomach, and it made him hard to breathe. But after a few moments of it, he realized a Hylian could not overpower a serpent one bit. He began to lose consciousness before Mardera charged at him and jumped in the air. She came right by the end of the tail and sliced it off with one of her scimitars. Link fell to the ground as the remaining tail on him uncoiled. The serpent roared in pain then dove under the water. A trail of blood was left by him due to his bloody stump for an end of a tail. Everyone ran over to Link to make sure he was alright. He coughed a little a shook his head to get rid of the stars.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout me guys, I'm fine! Worry about the serpent!" he said. Everyone sighed with relief as the serpent came crashing right through the ship. He erupted directly through it and lunged for the third time. This time he came very close to getting Link, but everyone managed to escape. The serpent crashed in the water and made a great mist. He rose right back up and roared at the four fighters.  
  
Mirren pulled out his bow and arrow and loaded up three arrows at one. He aimed vertically and pulled the arrows back. "Ahhhh shut up ya annoying serpent!" he yelled and shot the three arrows. They rocketed through the air and struck the serpent in the upper body. He howled in rage and pain and created a huge wave that hit the ship and Mirren too. The huge amount of water struck him head on and carried him all the way over to the middle of the ship where some barrels were. He crashed right into it and lay there for a few moments before getting up.  
  
"You stupid serpent!" he yelled waving his fist, "I didn't want a bath!!" The serpent roared at Mirren and the others as Acro began spinning his grappling hook in the air above his head.  
  
"Try and roar with this on ya!!" he yelled and threw the grappling hook. It spiraled through the air and wrapped right around the mouth of the serpent. The hooks dug deep into his skin and made it even harder for him to get it off. Acro knew he'd soon be overpowered though by the serpent, so he ran over to one of the tall poles and wrapped it around that.  
  
"There we go, he'll never be able ta pull the whole ship!" he said sounding triumphant. But Acro was wrong. The serpent pulled with all it's might and began rocking the ship back and fourth, sending everyone rolling around the ship.  
  
"Acro, it's too strong! Untie the grappling hook now!" shouted Link. Acro quickly untied it and pulled with all of his strength. The hooks ripped through the serpent's skin and came off; leaving three bloody cuts. The beast was getting incredibly angry now. He charged at Acro and gave him a savage head butt that knocked him into the outside of one of the cabins. The force of both hits was greatly powerful, so Acro was knocked out cold.  
  
The serpent stood over the body of Acro and was about to get his second meal. His blood dripped from the top of his mouth all the way down to Acro. The blood hit his tunic, and stained it red. The serpent was about to swallow him whole, before he heard a strange sound. The serpent turned around to see Mirren playing his ocarina. He looked at Mirren in a flabbergasted way for a few moments. Once Mirren finished, he grinned and a familiar roar was heard. There was a great golden shine in the sky, and soon Goldenfire flew down right by Mirren.  
  
The huge golden dragon glared at the serpent as Mardera stood by Link with her mouth wide open. She couldn't believe it. "No way, is that dragon, his friend?" she asked sounding shocked. Link smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yep" he answered, "quite a kid isn't he?" Goldenfire and the serpent still stared at each other before Mirren gave Goldenfire a command.  
  
"Goldenfire, attack that serpent!" he yelled pointing to it. Goldenfire bellowed his roar and flew at the serpent. He lunged at it and grabbed him by the neck with his two huge claws as he stood on his hind legs. He choked the life out of the serpent for a few moments before the serpent began to coil around his body. Goldenfire only noticed this when it was too late. The serpent had wrapped itself around his body and tripped him. Goldenfire lost his grip and roared in rage. The serpent dove at him and bit onto his neck. Goldenfire roared in pain and tried to get him off. Unfortunately though, the serpent's grip was very tight, and was almost impossible to get off.  
  
But Goldenfire was incredibly powerful, and instead grabbed him by the inside of his mouth and slowly pulled him off. With the serpent off his bloodied neck, Goldenfire then began wrenching the serpent's mouth open. He pushed and pushed with all his might, as Mirren and the others stood watching in confusion.  
  
"What's he doing?" asked Mardera. Even Mirren had no clue. He watched and watched, and noticed blood beginning to come out from the serpent's mouth. It flowed out like a stream, and even tough he was feeling a little sick at that point, he finally knew what Goldenfire was doing.  
  
"He's trying ta snap his jaw" he said. Everyone looked totally repulsed as more blood came out.  
  
"Well, he's sure doin' a good job of it!" exclaimed Mardera. As the serpent slowly began dieing, he thrashed his tail around in hopes he'd escape.  
  
"Look out!" shouted Link. The tail zoomed by as Link and Mirren jumped away, but Mardera wasn't so lucky. It hit her head on, and knocked her into the ocean.  
  
"Marderaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" yelled Link. He saw her bobbing up and down in the water unconscious and knew he had to help her. "Mirren, stay on the ship and tell Goldenfire what ta do, I'm gonna go save Mardera!" he said. Mirren nodded.  
  
"No problem bro!" he said. Link then dove into the water and swam as fast as he could. The waves smacked against him, but he kept on going. Soon he got to Mardera's body and got her. He then began swimming back.  
  
Back on the ship Goldenfire stopped applying the pressure and let go of the serpent. The serpent staggered and didn't make a sound. His mouth was full of blood and was dripping onto the ship. Acro suddenly woke up and saw the serpent the way it was, not to mention Goldenfire.  
  
"My God!" he yelled, "the serpent! It's practically dead! Hey Mirren, who's that dragon!?"  
  
"It's one of my old buddies!" Mirren answered, "now get outta there, he's gonna finish it off!" Acro immediately ran over to Mirren. "Alright Goldenfire, use your fireball!" Goldenfire obeyed the command and shot out a golden fireball from his mouth. It struck the serpent right in the face and burnt him badly. The serpent let out one last roar and collapsed to the ground dead.  
  
Mirren and Acro watched as the serpent lay dead with blood still coming from his burnt mouth and face. Goldenfire was now roaring in victory. His loud, deep roars echoed through the sea, showing he was the victor today. As they watched him, Link came up on the ship carrying Mardera, who was still unconscious.  
  
"What in the world happened!?" exclaimed Acro. Link set her down and breathed heavily.  
  
"The serpent one time hit her with his tail and knocked her into the ocean, so I had ta get her" he answered. Acro still looked at her.  
  
"Will she be all right?" he asked again. Link nodded as he gave her a little CPR to get the water out of her throat and mouth.  
  
"She should be, she really doesn't need much" he answered, "She'll be fine." Everyone sighed with relief as they felt the boat moving strangely. They all looked out to the sea and noticed it was sinking.  
  
"Time to go!" said Mirren, "Goldenfire!" The golden dragon flew over to him as Mirren got on his back. "Come on guys, we can ride Goldenfire to the shore, I'll ride like this. Link and you Acro can hold onto his wings, and he'll carry Mardera." Link and Acro looked at each other for a moment and soon shrugged.  
  
"What the heck!?" they said to each other. With that Link and Acro got on Goldenfire's wings and got a tight grip, while Goldenfire grabbed Mardera and held her in his huge claws. He then took flight into the air and began flying over the sea to the shore. Mirren looked back as the ship and the serpent finally submerged into the sea. He turned back and smiled.  
  
"What an adventure!" he said to himself in his head. 


	11. Link's Little Brother Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Diary Entry of Zelda that day;  
~It has been a while since I've written in you diary. There have been some funny things happening here at Hyrule Castle. The other day, I had a dream that Link brought a child from Terlon Forest here after a great battle. Sure enough, my dream was true and Link actually brought his long lost little brother here! The Messenger of the Goddesses Kaepora Gaebora came by and told us the whole story of the child. His name was Mirren and actually fought against Ganondorf and his sister Emralda many years ago. He had destroyed them and was believed to have had some of the Triforce in his power, but that can't be true. I guess he doesn't even remember the battle, it was many years ago so I could understand. But what I don't understand is why there were shadows of Ganondorf and Emralda at the battle. I hate to say it, but I have a feeling they might be after him for that battle.  
He is a very sweet kid, and Link has spent a lot of time with him. He's taken him to Kakariko Village, taught him to use the bow and arrow, and took him to Lon Lon Ranch not too long ago. He's spending even more time now that Mirren had a dream there were three new forces attacking Hyrule. Even I had the dream, and Kaepora Gaebora stopped by again to tell us it was true. He and Link left the castle to go to Hyrule Sea. I hope they both alright, especially Mirren, I'd hate to see him get really hurt or even die since I still want to spend more time with him. He's just like Link, my love.  
The other night, I asked Link if he loved me or not. He said no, but that I was his best friend. Perhaps this was a lie so save him embarrassment, or maybe he just doesn't love me the way I love him. Hopefully he was lying. He is such a handsome man. Those blue eyes, the blonde hair, and that incredible voice and face just made me fall for him all those years ago. He saved me from Ganondorf and other dangers so many times, I just can't help but have that special feeling for him. But I still feel afraid to tell him, for some odd reason. Hopefully, I'll lose that feeling and tell him, that I love him.~  
Zelda  
  
Back at Emralda and Ganondorf's citadel, the two were watching Mirren flying on Goldenfire with Link, Acro, and Mardera. They were both a little angry with what had just happened, but they were even angrier with the Gerudo Goldenfire was carrying in his huge claws. They knew that it was Mardera. They couldn't believe she had actually betrayed them. It just enraged them to know she turned her back on them.  
  
"That fool, she'll pay for what's she's done!" yelled Emralda.  
  
"Please sister, I'm just as angry" replied Ganondorf, "but we mustn't let that get to our heads. We can get our revenge any time we want. Besides, we should still be worrying about the Wolf-Bear and the Evil Phoenix. They are our most important concerns at this point." Emralda settled down and did as her brother said.  
  
"Forgive me Ganondorf, you're right. I mustn't snap for no good reason like that."  
  
"Good, because I think I know of a way to get revenge on that Gerudo traitor" he said. Emralda now looked surprised, but in a good way.  
  
"What?" she said with an evil grin. Ganondorf returned it with an evil smile.  
  
"I say we attack Gerudo Fortress while she's not there and take all the Gerudos captive" he answered, "It'll be good to make others suffer for her mistake. That'll get her." Emralda was pleased with the plan, but still had further questions.  
  
"What will we use on the attack, I mean creatures?" she asked. Ganondorf kept his diabolical smile.  
  
"Creatures they'll never defeat" he answered, "Dinolfos and Iron Knuckles in swarms, and even a few Like Likes."  
  
"You could use one more thing to make the assault perfect" replied Emralda, "Giant Cobras." Ganondorf lost his smile and looked a little confused.  
  
"Giant Cobras? Never heard of 'em" he replied, "I've never seen 'em for that matter either."  
  
"They're huge dark yellow cobras with a red underbelly" she said, "I can create a few of them with some mystical sand I have from a sacred desert. They're very powerful, and have deadly venom." Ganondorf smiled wickedly.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea, we'll attack the fort once Mirren and Link defeat the other beasts.... If they can" Emralda smiled back the same way.  
  
"Our plan will work no matter what happens" she said, "We will have our revenge."  
  
Back on the Shore of Hyrule Sea, everyone was resting. Mardera had woken up from her unconscious state and was her normal self. They all took a little nap under the sun and the refreshing breeze. Goldenfire didn't even leave to go back to the skies. He instead stayed with them and took a nap along with them. After about an hour they all woke up and were ready to get going back home.  
  
"I'll go find my ship and be headin' back on the seas" said Acro, "it's still probably by a small delta not too far from here. So I'll go alone, you guys can get going right away."  
  
"Ya sure?" asked Link.  
  
"I'm sure" answered Acro, "I'll find it easily. It has been quite a journey with you guys, I'll always remember this. Goodbye Link, Mardera, and Mirren, may good luck stay with ya guys!" Acro then waved to his friends and began walking down the sandy shore until he could no longer been seen. Everyone waved back to him as they smiled. They would always remember Acro. Link was the first to stop waving and turned to Mardera.  
  
"Hey Mardera, do you wanna go back to Gerudo Fortress now?" he asked. Mardera stopped waving also and turned to Link. She soon let out a small laugh.  
  
"Not after the adventure we just had!" she replied, "You guys are the best! I mean wow! I've never seen such men so brave! Besides, you guys are gonna help defeating the other monsters here in Hyrule!" Mirren was surprised from Mardera's response to the question.  
  
"You mean, you wanna come to Hyrule Castle and help us?" he asked sounding confused.  
  
"Oh course!" Mardera answered, "The Gerudos will perfectly understand that I helped you guys with the other monsters. Besides, I need ta get out more. I've been at that Fortress for years now, I need an adventure! And you guys are the best in my mind to go with." Link seemed to blush a little, and Mirren noticed it.  
  
"Pansy!" he whispered. Link heard it and elbowed him in the stomach. Mirren grabbed his stomach and puffed like heck when it hit.  
  
"Shut up!" Link whispered, "She'll leave us if you keep acting like this!" Mirren stopped grabbing his stomach and looked at his brother square in the eye with a glare.  
  
"What's up with you now, do you love her or somethin'?!" Mirren retorted. Link gritted his teeth and grabbed Mirren by his collar with both hands. He held him up in the air as he glared at him with him still gritting his teeth.  
  
"Oh course I don't love her!" he said louder, "And I wouldn't be makin' fun of me if I were you Mr. Midget!"  
  
"Well at least I'm not the loser who's wearing tights!" Mirren spat back even louder. Link was even angrier.  
  
"Say one more thing about that and I'll tear you limb from limb!" he yelled.  
  
"With what? Your tights!?" Mirren shouted. Link lost control just then. He spun around and threw Mirrenten feet away from him into the sand. Mirren got up and spat all the sand out of his mouth. He wiped his lips and glared at Link.  
  
"That's it bro, your goin' down!" he yelled. He charged at Link and yelled. He jumped in the air and rammed Link. Even though he was smaller, he took Link down and began slapping his head back and forth. Soon Link grabbed both of Mirren's hands and got up. With his grasp still on he lifted him up in the air and brought him down op the ground face first. Mirren's entire front side crashed in the ground and indented it. He slowly got up as Link laughed.  
  
"Whata ya got now punk?" he said dominantly. Mirren didn't reply. He looked at Link and spit a stream of sand into his face. Link jumped back and screamed and rubbed his face continuously. Mirren then walked over to him and kicked him in the shin. Link shouted in pain and grabbed his leg. He hopped up and down holding his leg. Soon Mirren kicked him in the other leg and made Link fall onto the sand. He flopped down as Mirren jumped up. He landed with both feet on Link's back and began stomping on him. Link endured the pain for a couple minutes before he got up and grabbed Mirren by the back. He lifted him up and held him in the air above his head.  
  
"Have a nice swim bro!" he yelled and threw Mirren right into the water. He crashed into it and created a huge splash. Link laughed and laughed as Mirren slowly got up. He yelled and charged at Link. He jumped in the air once again and did a flying body press into his brother. He knocked him down and they were soon rolling down hitting each other. Mardera and Goldenfire watched in embarrassment as they kept fighting. Mardera smacked her forehead.  
  
"What idiots!" she said shaking her head. Goldenfire replied with a low moan. After quite some time of the two fighting, Mardera stopped them and they all got on Goldenfire. Mirren got on his back, Link got on his right wing, and Goldenfire held Mardera in his huge claws. They flew off the shore and began flying back to Hyrule Castle. On the way Link and Mirren were able to make up and get back to their old selves.  
  
After a little while, they got back to Hyrule Castle and landed outside in the larger courtyards where Faria and Zelda were having a little brunch. They saw the huge Golden dragon land only a few feet from them and literally freaked out.  
  
"Who is that!?" shouted Faria. Mirren laughed and jumped down from Goldenfire's back. Link followed up and Mardera came off last. Mirren petted Goldenfire as Zelda and Faria stared at him with shock on their faces.  
  
"This is Goldenfire, my pet dragon" he answered he answered coolly, "don't worry, he won't hurt you guys." Even though they were still a little scared, they both walked over to him and put their hands on his neck. They began rubbing it up and down and Goldenfire seemed to like it. They both lost their fear and smiled.  
  
"I guess you're right Mirren" said Faria, "he's a very nice dragon." Mirren smiled as Zelda and Faria sighed with relief and looked at Mirren and Link.  
  
"I'm so glad to see that both of you are safe" Zelda said.  
  
Link smiled at her and she smiled back. "Never worry about us, we'll always be fine" he replied.  
  
"I know you will, but I'd die if something ever happened to Mirren or you" Zelda replied. They both looked at each and smiled even more. As Faria still stroked Goldenfire's neck, she noticed Mardera.  
  
"Hey, who are you?" she asked. Zelda finally noticed Mardera too.  
  
"Yeah, are you a friend of Mirren and Link?" she asked. Mardera nodded and bowed.  
  
"I am Mardera from Gerudo Fortress your majesties, please to meet you both". (Now you'd normally see a woman curtsy, but this was a Gerudo we were talking about so you can really understand it). Zelda and Faria both nodded their heads and smiled.  
  
"Good to meet you" said Faria.  
  
"I hope you'll like it here at Hyrule Castle" said Zelda. Mardera smiled and nodded.  
  
"I'm sure I will" she said. After that, everyone went inside the castle as Goldenfire flew off. They all went to the great hall to first have Link, Mardera, and Mirren bandaged up before they had brunch. Link needed a little bandaging up in the stomach, while Mardera needed it in the shoulder where Captain Ogre had slashed her. Believe it or not, Mirren barely needed anything! The only thing he needed was a little aloe gel on his right arm from the first battle with the Ogre Pirates when Link was ambushed. After that they had their brunch. They had fresh roasted apples, bread with Terlon Forest Honey, and Blueberry pastries. They all ate as Mardera got to know Zelda and Faria a little better. She figured she'd be at the castle for a while, so it'd be good if she knew them better. As they talked and told stories, Link and Mirren discussed their plan for the next journey. Link had laid out a nice map of Hyrule on a table as they ate and planned.  
  
"I say we go to Terlon Forest and take out that Wolf-Bear as quickly as possible" Mirren said after taking a bite of a roasted apple, "that thing doesn't sound like anything a nice forest needs."  
  
"That's true, but I think we'd better attack the Phoenix now" Link replied, "That thing could take out all of Hyrule in not a long period of time!"  
  
"Yes, but I have a very good friend in Terlon Forest, and I'd hate to go there and find him dead!" Mirren said right back, "besides, Darunia's there right? I'm sure he could defend against it until we would get there. He is a sage after all isn't he?" Link looked at his little brother. He thought for a few moments to decide if it really was a good plan. Mirren did have some good points after all. He wouldn't want to see Mirren's friend dead because they went to fight the Phoenix. Also, Darunia probably could fight against it before there got there if it did attack.  
  
"All right" he said after a sigh, "we'll leave for Terlon Forest tomorrow."  
  
A few hours later, as the sun found its way into the horizon and finally sank, Mirren was on one of the balconies Link had talked to Zelda on before with the prophecy. He loved watching the dark night sky with all the beautiful shining stars. Once in a while, he'd see a shooting star go bye and make a wish. As he watched alone in peace, he saw some formations in the sky. He noticed one similar to a hawk or eagle, one that resembled a dragon, and even one that looked like the Triforce. He looked for more and surprising found one that kind of resembled Link's face. He didn't know if it was really real or if he was just seeing things now. But whatever it was to him, it sure as heck made him think of his older brother. He smiled as he suddenly heard the door to the balcony slowly opened. He looked towards it and saw Faria walking in. She closed the door and walked to Mirren who was a little surprised with the arrival of her.  
  
"Hi Mirren" she said with a smile. Mirren still was confused, but smiled back.  
  
"Hey Faria" he replied. Faria walked closer to him and looked at the stars with him.  
  
"The night sky is beautiful isn't it Mirren?" she said. Mirren simply nodded.  
  
"It really is, and I've never seen it better than from here at Hyrule Castle" he said. He looked at Faria as she still watched the stars. "Hey Faria, no offense, but why did you come up here?" he asked. Faria turned to him and still smiled a little.  
  
"Well you see" she began, "all these years, my sister and your brother had always usually watched the stars together, and I really never wanted to invade their privacy together, so I always watched alone. So I guess, well, I felt I finally had someone to be with since you've come here." Faria really didn't smile anymore; instead she looked a little embarrassed. Mirren stared at her for a few moments a little oddly before letting out a laugh.  
  
"You've got no reason to be embarrassed Faria, I'd want someone to be with me too" he replied, "sure being alone is fun sometimes, but having someone with you is always just as nice!" Faria sighed with relief.  
  
"Well at least I've got that off my chest!" she said, "and don't think I've got a crush on you or anything 'cause I don't!" Mirren laughed a little more.  
  
"Don't worry, I knew you didn't, I feel the same way" he said. Faria smiled and Mirren smiled back. They both turned to the sky and watched as a bunch of shooting stars flew by. As Mirren smiled and watched, Faria thought of another thing.  
  
"Hey Mirren" she whispered as she turned to him, "do you think we'll ever love each other when we're older?" Mirren turned to Faria and looked at her in that thinking kind of thinking face before laughing again. He finally answered once he stopped.  
  
"I'd seriously we'd ever go that far, but I'm sure we'll be great friends forever!" he replied. Faria smiled.  
  
"I felt the same way, but just to make sure with you" she said. Mirren smiled at her as she still smiled at him. They both turned and looked up at the sky.  
  
"I'm glad you came her Mirren, because then I'd never have someone who I could call my best friend" Faria said. Mirren still smiled as they both looked up at the sky.  
  
"Me too Faria, me too" he replied. 


	12. Link's Little Brother Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
The next morning, Link and Mirren woke up early. They got their things together and planned out their journey to Terlon Forest. Once they had a light breakfast, they said goodbye to Zelda and Faria, also to Mardera who was staying at Hyrule Castle to rest up and protect if any trouble came.  
  
Just as the sun began rising into the sky over Hyrule, Link and Mirren rode off (well Mirren flew of course on Goldenfire) to Terlon Forest. They quickly stopped at Kakariko Village to go to Potion Shop. Link bought another Red Potion, a Green Potion, and a Fairy. Mirren bought the exact same, and he also stopped at the Bazaar to buy more arrows. Once they did that, they began their way to Terlon Forest. They swiftly traveled through Hyrule Fields and were quickly at the entrance to the forest. It was actually the small glade south of Lon Lon ranch.  
  
Once they were there they dismounted their rides and began journeying on foot through the forest. They walked down the path as Link tried to figure out where to go.  
  
"Hey Mirren, I think it'd best if we first stopped by your friend's place. But where is that?" he asked. Mirren smiled as he pulled out a large tome from his knapsack. Link stared at the large book for a few moments before asking another question.  
  
"Whoa, what book is that?" Mirren skimmed through the many pages of the book as he answered.  
  
"It's The Atlas of Hyrule" he answered, "It's one of my most helpful books!"  
  
"I can see why!" replied Link with a laugh. They kept on walking for a few moments before Mirren found the village where his friend lived. He showed the book to Link as he spoke.  
  
"There it is!" he exclaimed pointing to it, "that's Larchwood Village. I always knew the name of it, but I never could really remember where it was." Mirren now took his finger off the book and pointed to a nearby creek. "It should be not too far across that creek"  
  
"Great!" said Link, "at least we won't have ta walk too far!" Mirren put the tome away as they both walked over to the creek. Mirren looked for something to walk across and finally found some large stones. He began jumping from one to another as he yelled to Link.  
  
"Betcha I get across before you!" he shouted. But when he turned around, he simply saw Link shoot his Longshot to a tree and let it pull him across. Once he landed safely, he turned to Mirren and grinned.  
  
"You're lucky we didn't bet anything on that challenge!" he said and ran into the woods with a laugh of success. Mirren growled a little and began jumping his way over to the other side. Once he was done he charged straight into the woods to catch up to Link. He ran through the brush and finally found Link, who was oddly standing still with his mouth open in fear. Mirren ran up to his brother and looked at him.  
  
"What's up bro?" he asked. Link didn't answer, he only pointed to what was about seventy feet away from them. Mirren turned to see what it was and also froze in fear. There, in one line, was six huge Monblins with their massive war clubs.  
  
"Ho-ly cow" said Mirren said as the Monblins grinned and laughed at him and Link. "Got any good plans Link?" he asked. Link shook his head.  
  
"Not one" he answered, "but I guess we could just run in and hope to God we survive and we're able to kill them all by ourselves. You got anything?"  
  
"Perhaps a barrage of arrows might take some of them down" Mirren replied. Link thought of the idea before answering.  
  
"That's not bad either" he replied, "Let's charge in while firing a bunch of arrows, and when we're close, we attack with our swords." Mirren nodded.  
  
"Sounds go ta me" Both of them then pulled out their bows and loaded up their arrows. As that happened, the Monblins got their clubs ready.  
  
"Ready bro?" asked Link. Mirren nodded.  
  
"You bet" he answered.  
  
"Good" replied Link, "And if I die and you somehow survive, tell Zelda I.... actually forget that. Chaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrge!!!!" Link then ran into battle as he fired off the arrow. It struck one Monblin, but didn't do too much damage. As that happened, Mirren stood back confused by Link's remark.  
  
"Wait bro!" he shouted, "tell Zelda what!? Come on I can keep a secret! What's up!? Ahhhh forget you!" Mirren then screamed and fired off his arrow as he ran into battle. Like Link's, it struck a Monblin, but didn't do too much damage. They kept running as the Monblins began slamming their war clubs into the ground creating shockwaves. The waves traveled through the ground and exploded all around Link and Mirren, but didn't hit them. They kept running and firing arrows as they dodged the many shockwaves that the Monblins were still creating. Mirren had fired another arrow and finally took out one of the Monlins. He roared in pain from the arrow and collapsed. His dead body then disintegrated by blue fire as Mirren celebrated. But as he cheered, a Monblin sent a shockwave right towards him.  
  
"Mirren, look out!" shouted Link. Mirren finally noticed the shockwave, but couldn't dodge it. It hit him head on and knocked him back ten feet. He screamed in pain as Link quickly ran over to him and helped him up.  
  
"Come on bro, we gotta go, they'll hit us both if we don't move now!" Mirren listened to Link and got up ignoring the pain. They got back to running and firing their arrows. Soon Link hit one in the stomach and finally killed him.  
  
"Alright, only four ta go!" he yelled. By this time they were very close to the Monblins, so they pulled out their weapons. Link jumped at the Monblins with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield as Mirren followed with his broadsword. They quickly began slashing, stabbing, and cutting with their great blades as they dodged the many attacks from the Monblins' war-clubs. The Monblins tried and tried to just smash them to jelly with the clubs, but every time they did, Link and Mirren simply dodged it and hit them with their sword. After a few minutes of this, Mirren killed a Monblin with a nice slash, while Link destroyed one with a stab to the back.  
  
"Nice job Mirren!" he said, "you're doin' great! I would've never had lasted this long at your age!" Mirren smiled from his brother's compliment and began attacking another Monblin from behind.  
  
"Thanks Link!" he yelled back, "I'm almost done with this one, so then you can kill the other and we'll have won!" Link smiled at his little brother as he finished the Monblin off with a great over-head slash. Link noticed the Monblin behind him and stabbed him in the stomach. The Monblin was stunned, and Link charged up a spin attack. With his sword glowing orange, Link did the spin attack and killed the Monblin.  
  
"Alright!" shouted Mirren, "we did it!" Mirren jumped up and down as Link smiled. He was very proud that his own little brother could withstand a battle with six Monblins. But as Mirren celebrated, Link suddenly saw two Monblins run in and create a shockwave each.  
  
"Mirren, look ouuuuuuut!" Link ran towards him and was going to try and protect him from the attacks. But he could only get there in time to block one, and the other smacked Mirren. They were both sent flying and landed hard on the ground. They both groaned in pain as the two Monblins advanced towards them with evil grins on their faces. Mirren watched them and froze in fear; he and his brother were only seconds from death. But suddenly, two bolts of energy flew from the woods and struck the two Monblins. They both yelled in pain and were sent flying. Link was able to see this and immediately got up. He looked to where the shots came from and saw an old man and a young Hylian elf both with staves walking towards them. The elder was wearing a chestnut colored robe, while the younger one had a sky blue robe with dark red on the ends of sleeves, right around the bottom, and at the top on the collar. Mirren got up and rubbed his head without looking at them.  
  
"Ow! Hey bro, who shot those bolts?" he asked. He finally looked up at the pair. He saw the young Hylian elf and his eyes lit up in joy. The elf also saw him and lit up with joy. Mirren got and began running towards the elf.  
  
"Jarlis!!!" yelled Mirren.  
  
"Mirren!!!" shouted back Jarlis. Soon Mirren was by his best friend and they both clasped each others right hand and hit each with their shoulder.  
  
"I can't believe it's you Mirren, it has to have least been a year since I've seen you!" said Jarlis.  
  
"I know! It's been so different without you!" Mirren said back. They both kept talking before Jarlis finally noticed Link.  
  
"No way, is that your brother!?" he asked. Mirren smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yep, that's my bro Link; I just met him about a week ago!" Mirren replied. Jarlis walked over to Link and shook his hand.  
  
"It's nice to meet you Link, I'm Jarlis" he said. Link smiled at the boy.  
  
"Same here Jarlis, so you're Mirren's friend" he said. Jarlis and Mirren smiled as Jarlis nodded happily. "Well I'm glad we've finally found you, and thanks for the help with those Monblins!" Link said once again.  
  
"Actually, most of that was my grandpa's doing" replied Jarlis pointing to his grandfather. Link looked at the elder man and was somewhat surprised. He was going to ask him a question, but the elder man beat him to it with an explanation.  
  
"Hello Mirren and Link, I'm Shar, Jarlis's grandfather" he spoke putting a hand out to Link since he'd already met Mirren years before. Link smiled and shook his hand. "I'd never expect that I'd ever shake the hand of the Hero of Time, not to mention that he'd be the brother of my grandson's best friend!" Shar replied. Link laughed a little.  
  
"Thanks for the compliment, and don't be embarrassed about the whole brother deal, I didn't know either!" Everyone laughed for a moment before Shar spoke again.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, but what are you doing here in these parts of Terlon?" he asked.  
  
"Well, a couple days ago, we were informed that three terrors had attacked Hyrule, Captain Gorg and the Ogre Pirates, the Wolf-Bear, and the Evil Phoenix, so we traveled out to defeat them" answered Mirren, "We've already defeated Captain Gorg, so now we came here to fight the Wolf-Bear." Shar and Jarlis now looked very serious. It was true the Wolf-Bear had been attacking Terlon, and was getting nearer and nearer to their village.  
  
"Well then my friends, would you two like to help our village defend against the Wolf-Bear?" asked Shar. Link and Mirren really didn't even have to think about it. They instantly said "Sure!" With that, Shar and Jarlis began to lead Mirren and Link to their village. After a short walk, they came to the peaceful Larchwood Village.  
  
"It may be a little small, but we've got a decent amount of people here, and great shops!" said Jarlis. Mirren looked around at the village. He saw a few houses, a weapon shop, a potion shop, an inn, Hylians and Hylian Elves around, a nice small fountain, and a couple gardens. It reminded him of his old he had lived in before the moblins came and annihilated it.  
  
"Nice village, I'd actually like to live here" he said, "so, where are me and Link gonna stay? The inn?"  
  
"Oh course not!" replied Shar, "I'll let you stay at our house, we love company!" Link smiled and quietly laughed.  
  
"Well it's great to have great welcomers!" Everyone laughed a little and soon they all went to do their own businesses. Shar went to his house to do some reading, while Jarlis showed Link and Mirren the fountain. They each bought their own empty bottle from the Potion Shop and filled them up with the water. Jarlis said it had great power, and not only tasted great, but actually could rejuvenate you. After that he took them to the weapons shop. They were both in need of arrows, so they each bought thirty arrows for sixty rupees. Also Link bought special blue fire candles that could burn enemies badly, while Mirren bought a cool red boomerang. Jarlis then took Mirren to the herb gardens as Link went to train with his sword. At the herb garden, Miren picked out great Arnica herbs to heal his wounds from the battle with the Monblins. After hours of hanging out together, it was time for dinner, and the sun began to set. Everyone began to set up tables and preparing the food for a great feast. Soon even Shar and Link came back to Mirren and Jarlis.  
  
"So, how was your day boys?" asked Shar with his staff still in hand.  
  
"Pretty good grandfather, I showed Link and Mirren all around the village!" Jarlis answered. Shar patted Jarlis on the shoulder.  
  
"That's good Jarlis, I can see you're really good friends with them" Shar replied. Jarlis smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I can see why Mirren and him are best friends" added Link. Mirren now smiled. They all kept talking as the food began cooking. Everything was now set up, but there was trouble coming. Suddenly, the howl of a wolf was heard, and so was the stampede of many wolves coming. Most of the villagers gasped in fear, while Mirren and Link only looked into the woods with faces of confusion.  
  
"Hey Jarlis, what's goin' on?" asked Mirren. Jarlis paused before answering.  
  
"Dusk Wolfos" he answered very quietly almost in shock and fear. Suddenly a huge pack of black Wolfos came howling and charging into the village. All the villagers screamed and began running into their homes, but Link, Jarlis, Mirren, and Shar stayed outside and were ready to fight them off.  
  
"Be ready guys, these Dusk Wolfos are twice as fast and twice as strong as normal Wolfos" said Jarlis.  
  
"Hmm, maybe I'll finally get a challenge from Wolfos!" replied Link. Shar then pointed his staff towards an oncoming Wolfos and blasted it away with a shot of energy. Link and Mirren then charged in and began slashing at the Dusk Wolfos.  
  
As they did that, Jarlis was fighting alongside his grandfather whacking Wolfos after Wolfos with his staff. Shar was still shooting Wolfos with the shots of energy, but sometimes mixed it up with an energy slash from his magical staff. Mirren and Link both noticed the awesome power of the staff, and were amazed at how well Shar used it.  
  
As Mirren killed another Wolfos with a great stab, he heard one rushing up from behind him. The Dusk Wolfos lunged at him with its mouth wide open. Mirren jumped over it just in time and pulled out his new boomerang. He threw it at the Wolfos and knocked it flat with it. He saw two more coming and killed them both with perfect shots from his bow and arrow.  
  
Link was surrounded by about five Dusk Wolfos. He slashed and cut and stabbed like mad with the Master Sword in hope he'd escape the mess of Dusk Wolfos. But there were too many, and were a little too strong. They brought him down to the ground and trampled all over him. There was a large amount of grunting, howling and fighting as the Wolfos attacked Link. Jarlis noticed that Link was in danger and was going to run over to help before Link found a way out. He pulled out Din's Fire and used it. The dome of fire burnt the Dusk Wolfos to a crisp and instantly killed them.  
  
"My God!" shouted Jarlis, "What was that!?" Link slowly got up and dusted himself off.  
  
"Din's Fire" he answered with a groan of pain, "a magical spell I know of." Link then collapsed on the ground and grunted in pain. Jarlis ran over to him and pulled out the Magical Water from the fountain. He helped Link drink it, and soon Link was on his feet.  
  
"Thanks Jarlis!" he said, "that water is better than my Red Potions!" Jarlis smiled at Link until he noticed a Dusk Wolfos duo charging at them. He turned to them and got in a battle position.  
  
"I'll get these ones Link" he said. He grinned at the oncoming duo of Dusk Wolfos and finally charged at them and smacked them both with an uppercut from his staff and killed them both. Link was very surprised with the excellent staff handling of Jarlis and smiled at him.  
  
"Nice shot" he complimented. Jarlis turned to him and smiled back.  
  
"Thanks" he replied. Jarlis then immediately noticed a Wolfos sneaking up behind Mirren.  
  
"Mirren! Look out!!" he shouted. Mirren tried to turn around, but the Dusk Wolfos got a nice slash of his claw in first. It came right on Mirren's back and knocked him down. Shar had also noticed what had happened and aimed his staff at the Dusk Wolfos and shot another energy bolt from it. It struck the Wolfos from behind and instantly killed it. Link and Jarlis then ran over to him and began helping him up.  
  
"You okay Mirren?" asked Link holding him up. Mirren didn't respond for a couple moments. He groaned in pain and rubbed his head. He shook it around a little and got rid of the dizziness.  
  
"Yeah, don't worry 'bout me, I'm fine" Mirren answered. Mirren was finally then on his own two feet and picked up his sword which he dropped from the attack. As that happened, Shar was shooting energy bolts from his magical staff like crazy. Each and every second you'd see a glow of light, and then see it shoot out and hit another Wolfos, killing it in a second. The Wolfos could see that they couldn't withstand more of Shar's awesome assault and retreated. Link, Jarlis, and Mirre then walked over to Shar as they watched the Dusk Wolfos retreat into the woods.  
  
"Nice attack grandfather, they didn't stand a chance!" said Jarlis. Shar kept watching and nodded.  
  
"Yep, I may be old, but I still got it!" he replied. Everyone laughed a little from Shar's joke.  
  
"All I can say is that's been proven true by you Shar, you're excellent with that staff!" said Link, "what is that thing!?" Shar chuckled and showed it to Link.  
  
"Well ya see Link" he began, "Many years ago, a carpenter once went into the woods and chopped some wood from a magical tree. He took it home to his house and..." Shar wasn't able to finish the story. He was interrupted by this time numerous howls and an ever louder stampede sound. Everyone looked in shock as another pack of Dusk Wolfos triple the size of the last one began to charge into the village.  
  
"No way! There's gotta be sixty of 'em!" yelled Shar.  
  
"There is no way in heck we can defeat all of them!!" added Jarlis. All of the watched in shock as Mirren pulled out a huge crystal with a dark yellow center. Link noticed this and was very surprised.  
  
"Hey Mirren, what's that?" he asked. Mirren didn't answer. He instead advanced further away from Link and the others and glared at the many Dusk Wolfos. He finally gritted his teeth in anger and held out the diamond-like crystal with both hands.  
  
"Don't you idiotic beasts know when ta give up!!!???" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Suddenly the crystal began glowing yellow. It seemed to charge up and up and up. Soon it was totally a shining bright yellow. Mirren screamed in rage and suddenly a huge thunderbolt flew out from the diamond. It soared towards the Dusk Wolfos as Mirren kept screaming and as he pushed more power into it. The huge bolt finally found its mark at the pack and created a massive explosion. It created a huge wind gust that almost knocked and the others off their feet! There was a huge ball of light from the explosion that ripped through the many lines of Dusk Wolfos. It kept pouring out wind as some of the very small buildings in the village to tear apart! Every second there was more yelps and howls of pain from the Wolfos as the explosion killed off the final ones. Soon Mirren stopped screaming and the explosion disintegrated. Mirren lowered his hands and breathed heavily as Link and the others looked in shock of the massive damage from the crystal.  
  
"Mirren, what..is... that?" asked Link in total shock. Mirren kept panting slowly for a few moments before turning his head a little to look at Link.  
  
"Thunder Diamond" he answered.  
  
The next day, Link and Mirren mostly rested at Larchwood Village. They had both taken substantial amounts of pain, and needed a day to recover from their injuries. Even the Hero of Time and his little brother need rest. But back at Hyrule Castle, Faria and Zelda weren't resting at all. In fact, they were training in the courtyards! But not with weapons, instead with their very powerful magic.  
  
Zelda began to launch a few magical fireballs from her hands at Faria. The powerful blasts of fire magic rocketed through the air right towards her little sister. But Faria was able to counter the attacks. Her eyes light up a light blue, and in a flash of mental energy, the fireballs exploded in mid air. Zelda covered her eyes from the explosion, but soon opened them and smiled at Faria.  
  
"Nice block, you're getting better with those mental attacks" Zelda complimented. Faria's eyes finally turned their normal color and smiled back at Zelda.  
  
"Thanks, but I couldn't have learned them so well without your help sis!" Zelda smiled even more.  
  
"Well good, but lets see how you hold off against this" she said. Zelda then waved her arms gently around and she suddenly sent a pair a pink energy cloths towards Faria. It completely took her by surprise and she was soon surrounded by two energy cloths. The long cloths were like pieces of Zelda's long outfit, but these were much larger and could actually hurt the opponent, not to mention they were nothing but energy. Soon Zelda applied the pressure and made them crush Faria. There was a large pink glow around Faria as she screamed in pain. The pain was pretty bad, but she didn't give up and kept trying to think of a plan to escape.  
  
"You're going good Faria, but I'd doubt you'll last much longer, 'cause I'm about to kick it up a bit!" said Zelda. She put in more power to her energy cloths and Faria felt even more pain. She kept screaming and was growing very weak. Zelda could see the pain in her little sister's eyes.  
  
"Don't worry if you must give up Faria, you've lasted long enough, you've done well" Zelda spoke. Faria was really getting weak now, but she still didn't give up.  
  
"I'm not giving up! I know I'll find a way to escape!" she shouted through her immense pain. She thought and thought of a technique to get her out of this mess, but came up short every time, but finally got one.  
  
"Faria, if you stay in much longer, you'll be severely hurt!" yelled Zelda, "and I'm not joking!" Faria heard her sister's words and simply grinned through the glow of energy around her.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm only seconds from escaping" she replied coolly. Zelda was very surprised at Faria's words, but did have a felling she was telling the truth. And she was right. Faria's eyes now lit up green, and she fired out two light green beams of energy from her eyes. The beams soared towards Zelda hit her head on. They were so powerful that they knocked her down, losing her concentration of the energy cloths. Instantly, Faria was free, and also fell to the ground from the pain. The cloths came running back into Zelda's hands and suddenly vanished. The two sisters lay on the ground resting for a few minutes before getting up and walking over to each other.  
  
"Nice job Faria, I'm proud of you" Zelda said, "You did a great job today." Faria smiled.  
  
"Thanks Zelda, you did great to!" Faria replied, "That energy cloth attack was really strong!" Zelda let out a laugh.  
  
"It is, isn't it?" she said, "I've been working on that thing for a while." Both of them smiled at each other before Zelda thought of a plan.  
  
"Hey Faria, I got a really cool plan" she began, "Listen to this! How about, when Link and Mirren defeat all the monsters and they're home here for a while, we challenge them to a fight? You and me, against them?"  
  
Faria was a little surprised from the idea, but actually liked it.  
  
"That'll be so cool!" she replied, "They'll never expect this! And also they won't expect us to be so strong!" They both laughed and began walking back into the castle, dreaming of what would happen when that day came.  
  
Back at Larchwood Village, Link and Mirren had quit their resting and were out and about. They both had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing very serious. Mirren was practicing with his bow while Link watched. A few people had come by now to watch Mirren perfectly shoot the tiny red dot in the middle of the target. He easily impressed them with the excellent shots and maneuvers he was using. Even the archers from the village were impressed, not one of them could compare to Mirren!  
  
After a few shots, Mirren took a bandana and rapped it around his eyes. He blindly took an arrow from his quiver and loaded it up. He placed himself correctly and let the arrow fly. Amazingly, the arrow still hit the red dot, even when Mirren was practically blind. He swung around, took off his bandana, and bowed as the crowd cheered for him. He thanked them and waved to them as he walked over to Link.  
  
"Hey bro" he said, "how ya doin? Did ya like the show?" Link smiled a real little.  
  
"Yeah, you're gettin' better, but I need to talk to you" he replied. Link didn't smile at all now. He looked very serious, and this made Mirren's smile disappear too.  
  
"What's up Link? What do ya need to ask me?" Mirren asked.  
  
"Not out here Mirren, I'd rather ask you this in private; let's go to Jarlis's house. They're not home, so it'd be just us" Link replied. He then turned and began walking to the house. Mirren was a little confused by all this but decided to do as his brother said. He put away his bow, and began following Link back to the house. Once they were there, they both went up to the bedrooms and sat down at a table.  
  
"Okay Link, we're here, now what's up?" asked Mirren. Link didn't answer at first, instead, he pointed to Mirren's knapsack.  
  
"Mirren, take out that diamond you used last night" he demanded. Mirren looked at his brother with a flummoxed expression but once again did as he said. He pulled out the Thunder Diamond and laid it on the table.  
  
"Mirren, what is that thing?" he asked very seriously. Mirren stared at his brother, but soon answered.  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you" he began, "a few years ago, back at my old village, the Elder Mage wanted to know who could harness his vast amount of power from three legendary crystals. So many people decided to try and use them in hopes they'd impress the Elder and receive his great power. Every man, woman, and child who tried though, failed and was hurt from the enormous amount of power. After an hour, it came down to me, so either I would harness the power, or no one would except the Elder Mage could. Shockingly, I some how had the power to control them, and not get hurt at all. The Elder Mage said I was the only one besides him who could use correctly, so he let me keep them to train with and get stronger with. The three crystals were the Ice Diamond, the Fire Diamond, and the Thunder Diamond which is right here." Mirren then took out the other two diamonds and laid one each side of the Thunder Diamond. There was a blue one and a red one "As I was saying; only I can harness them now since the Elder Mage died a year after I received them. They are all incredibly powerful and have special powers in them. The Ice Diamond can shoot a beam of ice and freeze anything it touches, even fire. The Fire Diamond shoots out a blaze like no other that burns anything to ashes, even boulders. And the Thunder Diamond which you've seen before can shoot a thunderbolt so power it can actually destroy a mountain if it's at full power."  
  
Link sat in awe of the three awesome diamonds as he listened to Mirren's story. He just couldn't believe that objects so powerful could only be handled by a kid like Mirren. "Wow Mirren" he whispered, "It's just incredible, I don't think I've ever heard of such great powers before. Those things make my spells look like nothing!" Mirren was surprised by Link's remark.  
  
"You know magic too?" he asked. Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, some pretty cool ones, but like I said before nothin' compared to yours now" he answered.  
  
"What are they?" asked Mirren. Link didn't respond right then and there. He looked in his own knapsack and pulled out three crystals. One light blue one, one orange one and one light green one.  
  
"These are the spells of the three Goddesses which were given to me by Great Fairies" he began, "Din's Fire is the orange one. I don't know if you saw me or not but I used it when we fought the Dusk Wolfos. It creates a large dome of fire around me which spreads out and burns anything around me. The light green one is Farore's Wind. It lets me create a warp point and then lets me warp to it when I need to. But I can only use it in dungeons. And the last one is Nayru's Love. It surrounds me with a blue crystal and keeps me from taking damage for a short while." Mirren looked at the three spells for a few moments before looking up at Link.  
  
"So, these were given to by Great Faires?" he asked. Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, big half naked screaming psychos you don't wanna meet!" he replied. Mirren laughed and Link soon joined in.  
  
Hours later, the sun began setting as Mirren, Link, and Jarlis went into the woods to collect firewood. They traveled down the path collecting every twig, stick, and log they could find for the fires back at the village. After a little while, it finally became dark, and the three decided it'd be best to return to the village. They followed the trail back as they talked about the feast they were going to have.  
  
"I can't 'til I get back, I heard the cooks are makin' Peach Porridge!" said Jarlis.  
  
"I know, and your grandfather told me there's a special dessert after the main dinner, he told me it might be a giant strawberry cake!" added Mirren. Link dreamt of the delicious sounding food the two were talking about. Sure the food at Hyrule Castle was great, but he'd never heard of Peach Porridge! All the foods sounded great to him, and he kept thinking about them as they kept walking down the path.  
  
"I also guess there's gonna be extra Crabapple Ale!" said Jarlis, "Man I love that stuff! It's just so...." Jarlis was then cut off by a louder than ever trampling sound. Everyone looked down the path into the dark woods, where it was coming from.  
  
"Monblins?" asked Link.  
  
"More Dusk Wolfos?" asked Mirren. Jarlis froze in fear and finally knew what it was. He couldn't answer at first from the intense fear, but after a few moments did.  
  
"The Wolf-Bear" he whispered. Link and Mirren were now also frozen in fear. The sound kept getting louder, and it sounded as if it were getting closer. And soon, it was right in front of them. It was as black as darkness, and had blazing red eyes. Its body and claws were that of a bear, and its head was that of a wolf. It stood at a height of fifteen feet, dwarfing Mirren and the others. It opened its mouth wide open and let out a terrifying roar revealing two rows of sharp, dagger-like teeth. It soon looked down at them, and was ready to attack.  
  
"Run!" shouted Jarlis. All three of them then dropped their firewood and began running at full speed in hopes to escape. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them as the Wolf-Bear followed right behind them. Even though he was so massive, he was incredibly fast and was gaining up on the three quickly. Link noticed this, and pulled out the candles he had bought before.  
  
"Try and kill us with this!" he shouted, and threw the candles at the Wolf- Bear. They all hit him around the face and burnt him. The fires scorched his eyes and made him roar in agony. He staggered around holding his burnt face as he began to lose his sight. Link noticed he had bought some time for the three of them and quickly began following Mirren and Jarlis back to Larchwood Village.  
  
"Hey Link, what happened?" asked Mirren still running.  
  
"I took out those special candles I had bought before and threw them at the Wolf-Bear" he answered, "I guess they hit him in the face so he's kinda blind right now."  
  
"That's great!" exclaimed Jarlis, "that'll be great time you've bought us!" But Jarlis spoke too soon. They suddenly heard the trampling of the Wolf- Bear once again and knew he was getting closer.  
  
"My God! That thing just doesn't know when the heck to give up!" yelled Mirren.  
  
"Don't worry about it though; the village is just up ahead!" Jarlis said. They ran even faster now and were soon in the village. They watched as numerous villagers began running into their houses and locking up their doors and windows. The only person outside besides them was Shar.  
  
"Grandfather! The Wolf-Bear's coming!" yelled Jarlis. Shar didn't even look at his grandson directly in the eye; instead he peered out into the woods where the loud sound of the Wolf-Bear running was coming from.  
  
"I already know Jarlis" he replied, "I knew he was coming the second I heard the trampling."  
  
"Can we defeat him!?" asked Mirren.  
  
"Possibly my boy, if we work together of course" Shar answered. Link and Mirren then nodded and pulled out their blades, while Link also took out the Hylian Shield. They both got ready for the Wolf-Bear as Jarlis did the same and got in a battle position with his staff. They then waited for the Wolf-Bear to storm into the village. The wait, wasn't a long one. He crashed through two large beech trees and knocked them right over. He jumped into the village and roared even louder than all the other times.  
  
"Well, here goes nothing!" shouted Mirren. He then charged at the Wolf- Bear. He screamed and jumped into the air straight at the Wolf-Bear. He was about to perform a mighty slash but was instead slashed by the Wolf-Bear's huge claw. He was sent flying back to where Link and Jarlis was and smacked hard into the ground. They both instantly ran over to him and began to help him up.  
  
"Are you okay Mirren!?" asked Jarlis. Mirren groaned and little and rubbed the back of his head.  
  
"Ow! Headache headache!" he replied. Link groaned in irritation.  
  
"He's fine" he said not sounding concerned whatsoever. They then helped Mirren up to feet and made sure he was all right. As the two helped Mirren, Shar was keeping the Wolf-Bear at bay with his awesome energy slashes from his staff. He kept slashing and slashing at the beast as the Wolf-Bear backed off a little. The slashes weren't meant to hit him, instead to frighten him a little in hopes he'd back off and retreat back into the woods. But he didn't. The Wolf-Bear then lunged at Shar with a great slash. Shar was just able to evade the attack as the Wolf-Bear's claw dug deeply into the ground. Link then decided it was his turn to attack. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance in close combat with his sword, so he ran over to a large, gray boulder and lifted it over his head.  
  
"Hey Wolf-Bear! How do ya like this!?" he yelled. The Wolf-Bear then turned to him and growled. Link then threw the large boulder at the Wolf-Bear. The large boulder got some good distance and was able to hit him in the middle of his chest. The boulder broke apart into the pieces and knocked him flat.  
  
"Alright!" yelled Link. Jarlis stood in awe of Link's great battle skills and power.  
  
"Wow Mirren, your brother's awesome!" he said, "I've never seen anyone do that! He's an incredible warrior!" Mirren scowled at his brother.  
  
"Show off!" he retorted. Link then pulled out the Master Sword and charged at the Wolf-Bear. He was ready to do an attack, but the Wolf-Bear sprung up and smacked him with his claw. Link screamed in pain and was sent flying. He hit the ground with a loud thud and was knocked unconscious.  
  
"Link!" shouted Mirren this time concerned for his brother. He gritted his teeth and screamed in rage. He whipped out his sword and screamed at the Wolf-Bear. He began charging at him as Jarlis followed. Mirren leapt into the air and went for another slash, only to receive an uppercut from the Wolf-Bear. He soared about twenty-five feet into the air and finally crashed on the ground. Jarlis then attacked with a great whack from his staff. Unfortunately for him too, the Wolf-Bear grabbed him by the waist with one hand and threw him in the ground behind him. Jarlis was sent crashing into the ground and made an indention of his body. Shar couldn't believe what he had just seen. His own grandson, thrown into the dirt like a stone. He knew he could've been dead and screamed in anger. He pointed his staff at the Wolf-Bear and charged it up. A blue ball of energy appeared at the top and glowed with power. The Wolf-Bear turned around and saw this. Shar then screamed and shot the blue sphere of energy. The Wolf- Bear just in time lifted up his claws and began to hold it back as Shar shot more power into it. The Wolf-Bear stood doing his best to hold back the power, and was actually doing a good job of it. The twos' powers were even, and neither one could overpower the other, until Mirren finally got up and loaded up his bow with an arrow. He aimed, and fired. The arrow flew in the air and found its mark in the Wolf-Bear's right shoulder. He roared in pain, and could no longer hold back Shar's sphere of energy. It hit the Wolf-Bear and created an explosion of light and energy, knocking down the Wolf-Bear. He fell into the ground just in front of Jarlis and made the loudest crash ever. It shook the ground and almost knocked Mirren off his feet! He got his balance finally and looked at Shar.  
  
"Nice attack, we did it" he said breathing heavily. Shar breathed the same way, and spoke to Mirren still looking at the Wolf-Bear.  
  
"I know, and thanks for the help" he replied, "I told you we could defeat him, if we worked together."  
  
Mirren nodded as he fell to his knees. He was incredibly tired and very weak from the battle, and could barely stand. The great slashes from the Wolf-Bear's claws had taken a number on him, and he was greatly getting weaker.  
  
As Mirren did his best to recover, Shar stared down at the dead body of the Wolf-Bear, and scowled. He turned around, and began walking away. But as he took his third step, the Wolf-Bear got up and did a massive uppercut to Shar. He flew into the air, and as he slowly came down, the Wolf-Bear smacked him again and sent him flying into a nearby tree. Shar's body struck the tree with a sickening thud, and he soon closed his eyes. Mirren gasped in shock and was just speechless. He wanted to say something, but just more horrified gasps came out. The Wolf-Bear then turned to him and slowly began advancing towards him. Mirren knew he couldn't get up and fight, so he had only one choice. He pulled out his ocarina, and stared at the Wolf-Bear.  
  
"Please get here in time Goldenfire" he whispered. He then played the melody that would hopefully call Goldenfire in time to get him there to save Mirren. When he finished, he dropped the ocarina and lay helplessly as the Wolf-Bear got closer and closer. He watched in fear as his heart pounded like mad. His only chance was for Goldenfire to arrive in time. He waited and waited, and soon the Wolf-Bear was only a few yards from him. The Wolf-Bear roared and jumped towards Mirren. He turned his head away and closed his eyes ready to die.  
  
"Don't worry Goldenfire, I understand you couldn't get here in time" he whispered to himself. He waited for the feeling of the killing blow from the Wolf-Bear, but instead heard the sound of shooting fire and the Wolf- Bear roaring in pain and hitting the ground. Mirren looked up and opened his eyes. He only saw Goldenfire. His eyes light up with joy and he suddenly found the strength to get up. He stood by his dragon friend and got his sword ready. He knew that Goldenfire must've burnt the Wolf-Bear just in time with his fire to save him, and he was very thankful. He waited and waited, and soon the Wolf-Bear was on his feet. He glared at the stunned Wolf-Bear, and was ready to attack until the Wolf-Bear roared in agony and literally froze. Mirren watched in confusion as the Wolf-Bear collapsed to the ground alive, yet not moving. He looked again and saw Jarlis with his staff.  
  
"Jarlis, what happened?" he asked. Jarlis as breathing heavily and had a face of anger and seriousness on him.  
  
"I was able to hit the Wolf-Bear correctly in the spine with my staff" he answered, "He's right now paralyzed, but alive. Kill him; once and for all." Mirren looked at his lifelong friend and soon nodded. He glared at the Wolf-Bear and then began charging at him. He leapt into the air and brought his sword down into the Wolf-Bear's upper back area. He let out one more roar of agony, and finally died. Mirren pulled out the blade from the Wolf-Bear's back and wiped all the blood and hair off it on the grass. When he was done, he put it away and looked at Jarlis. He gave Mirren a thumb up, and Mirren soon gave one back. They both smiled until Jarlis looked over to Shar. His face instantly changed from happiness to sorrow as he ran over to his grandfather. Mirren knew Shar was hurt, and ran over to Jarlis to help him and Shar. He knelt down as Jarlis wept terribly. He looked at Shar's closed eyes, and motionless chest. He froze in shock, and looked at Jarlis, who still was crying.  
  
"He's.. dead" whispered Jarlis. He then hugged his grandfather's dead body and cried even more and even worse. Mirren could see the absolute sorrow in his friend, and patted him on the back to comfort him with complete concern for him. He had nothing he could say, he knew of no words that could help the situation at all. The two did as they were doing for a few minutes before Link finally walked over to them. He looked at Jarlis as he cried over his dead grandfather. He felt very sorry for him and looked at Mirren, who had turned his head to see Link. They both looked at each other grimly before finally nodding to each other. Link knelt down by Jarlis and looked at Shar.  
  
"Is there any place you'd like him buried Jarlis?" he asked. Jarlis cried a little bit more before wiping his tears away and answering Link.  
  
"Right by our house" he answered. Link nodded and picked up Shar in his arms. The three then walked over to the house as Mirren and Link began to dig a hole under one of the trees to put Shar in. Once they were finished, they put him in and Link began filling up the hole as Mirren stood by Jarlis. They both didn't say anything before Jarlis asked him something.  
  
"Mirren, now that my grandfather's dead, I feel I have no reason to live here in my village" he began, "it just won't be the same here without him. That's practically the only reason I've been here for so long, because of him. But now that he's dead, I was wondering if I could come back with you and Link to Hyrule Castle." Mirren looked at Link as he finished up the grave. He didn't even bother asking Link about Jarlis's request.  
  
"Jarlis, consider Hyrule Castle your new home" he replied.  
  
That night, Link and Mirren decided they wanted to get right back to Hyrule Castle. So they packed everything they had brought with them, and got ready to leave on Goldenfire. Jarlis went into his house and packed up everything he wanted with him before he left. While he searched, he surprising came upon his grandfather's will! According to it, when Shar died, he'd leave his magical staff with Jarlis. So he left his normal staff in the house and took his grandfather's awesome staff. Once he was finished, he got on Goldenfire and the three flew back to Hyrule Castle in the night sky.  
  
They flew and flew, and Jarlis was very quiet (you couldn't blame him!) Mirren could see how his friend was suffering but didn't speak to him. Not that he was a jerk, but he thought it'd be best if Jarlis keep his thoughts to himself and was alone. Mirren looked down at Hyrule Field and saw nothing but the dark ground. He soon saw Lon Lon Ranch and looked to see it. All the horses were now off the track and no one was out. As they flew by, Mirren could've sworn he heard Talon's loud snoring. He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head to get rid of the thought.  
  
"What am I thinking!?" he said to himself, "man I really need ta get some rest when I get back." And soon, he would. They landed in front of the castle and got off Goldenfire. He then flew up into the sky and disappeared amongst the clouds. They all went in and noticed no one but the night guards were up. Link immediately went to his room and conked out, while Mirren showed Jarlis a free room where no one slept. Mirren helped Jarlis put all of his things up and soon it was officially Jarlis's room. Jarlis laid down in his nice, new bed and fell asleep as Mirren began walking down the halls to his room.  
  
It was very dark, and there were no torches light, just a few small candles that provided little light. But Mirren kept walking even though he could barely see anything. He kept on walking until he heard something behind him. He instantly turned around and was now wide awake. He looked around to see someone but saw absolutely no trace of anyone but himself. He kept on walking and turned down a hall and saw someone right in front of him. He froze in fear and tried to make out who it could be, but failed. He only could manage to see that the person was taller than him, and had long hair. He didn't want to yell since he'd wake everyone up. And if it was just his imagination, he'd have no reason to scream. He stepped back a little and began running down the hall. He ran and ran and quickly began going down a small flight of stairs. He got half-way there before he saw the person again. He was ever more freaked out now and began running back. He burned down the halls and came upon the same person again! He gasped in fear and kept on running.  
  
"What's goin' on!?" he said to himself, "is it a ghost, or am I just hallucinating!?" He kept on running and soon came to his bedroom door. He quickly opened it and ran inside. He closed it, and locked it up. He breathed heavily and sighed with relief. But he still felt the thing was still after him. He began taking steps backwards to his bed before he bumped into someone. His eyes instantly bugged out and he gulped in fear. He turned around, and saw the same person. He froze in fear and began breathing heavily as he backed away a little. He was freaked out more than ever.  
  
"Who are you?" he whispered, "what do you want with me?" The person didn't respond. Instead it moved closer to him and came into the moonlight to finally be seen. It was Zelda.  
  
"It's me Mirren" she whispered back, "and I was helping you get to your room." Mirren's jaw dropped and was shocked.  
  
"Zelda!?" he exclaimed, "what the heck were doing scaring the crud outta me just to get to my room!?"  
  
"Because you were going the wrong way" she answered, "when you left your new friend's room, you should've took the left hallway; instead you took the one straight in front of you. So I used my teleportation to get by you all the time to lead you to it" Mirren thought about the explanation for a moment before realizing she was right.  
  
"Hmm, I guess you're right, sorry I snapped like that" he replied. Mirren then thought of Jarlis, he didn't even ask Zelda if he could stay there! "And I hope you don't mind me forgetting to ask you if my friend could stay" he said a little embarrassed, "when we were at Terlon Forest his grandfather died and...."  
  
"You don't have to explain anything Mirren, I don't mind at all" interrupted Zelda. Mirren sighed with relief. Zelda smiled at Mirren and he smiled back before he thought of one more thing to ask her.  
  
"Hey Zelda, if you were just trying to help me get to my room, why didn't you just tell me instead of freaking me out like that!?" Zelda giggled before answering the annoyed Mirren.  
  
"I should've told you this before, it's just that I can never resist playing a practical joke like that, especially with a kid like you" she answered, "I'm sorry if you didn't like it, I'll never do it again." Mirren looked at Zelda in his annoyed look before finally letting out a quiet laugh.  
  
"Well, if that's the reason, I don't mind at all!" he replied, "You can do it anytime I get lost!" Zelda laughed.  
  
"Well I'm glad to see you can take a joke" she said. Mirren grinned.  
  
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, "I am- me after all" Zelda once again laughed and put her hand on Mirren's left cheek.  
  
"I'm so glad Link found you and brought you here, you're such a cute kid!" she said smiling the whole way. Mirren's eyes lit up and his face went red as his mouth dropped a little. Luckily though, the darkness kept Zelda from seeing him blush, but she had a feeling he was. Mirren also kind of thought she could tell, but he didn't care, he felt absolutely great at that time. Zelda took her hand off Mirren's cheek after a few more moments and left his room. She smiled at him as she closed the door while Mirren still stood with his eyes lit up and his mouth open in surprise.  
  
"Wow" he whispered to himself, "she thinks I'm cute!"  
  
Ganondorf and Emralda watched Mirren as he lay down in his bed. He pulled up the covers and slowly fell asleep, with a smile on his face. They both laughed wickedly.  
  
"Well well, it seems the brat's in love my brother!" exclaimed Emralda. Ganondorf sneered.  
  
"What a fool of a kid, Zelda's nothing more than a weak damsel who acts all tough since she's a so called- Sage" Ganondorf retorted, "she's got some power in her, but nothing compared to a great woman like you Emralda." Emralda smiled.  
  
"You're right, I should be princess of Hyrule, not Zelda!" she now looked a little jealous and angry as she thought of Zelda. Ganondorf put his arm around his sister.  
  
"Calm down Emralda, there's no reason whatsoever why you should be mad over Zelda" he said. Emralda slowly began to sober. "There ya go my sister, and don't worry, you'll soon by queen of Hyrule! Once the brat and that fool Link defeat the Evil Phoenix, we can begin our real plan." Ganondorf grinned like a demon as Emralda turned to him and looked him in the eye a little flummoxed.  
  
"But what about our attack on Gerudo Fortress my brother?" she asked, "we were supposed to get revenge on Mardera and...." Ganondorf then cut her short.  
  
"Forget her, I no longer care about those traitors" he replied, "they may have been my family practically, but when they decided to hate me and betray me, I no longer care. The only reason they ever prospered was because of me and my excellent leadership. Without me, the Gerudos will slowly rot and die off. And I just want revenge on Mardera, and we will. Like we've been planning, we will take those whom Mirren loves most, and taunt him to get to our citadel. Mardera will be one of them, the same with that kid Jarlis. When he does come, we'll defeat him in battle, and let him watch as we kill all those who we capture. Then we'll kill him, making his death more sorrowful than ever. Then, we shall be king and queen of Hyrule!" Emralda was evilly pleased and smiled like a she-devil.  
  
"Great plan Ganondorf" she said, "but let's check who we will capture. Mardera and the Jarlis kid."  
  
"Link" Ganondorf added.  
  
"Zelda's little brat of a sister Faria" Emralda said.  
  
"The dragon" Ganondorf said back.  
  
"And his love, Zelda" Emralda whispered sounding ever the more evil. Ganondorf smiled.  
  
"Perfect, and we can add more as the time passes by" he spoke, "but we'll have to decide the order, it'll make it even better. But that can be for another day, right now, we've got the plan to get our ultimate revenge." They both smiled evilly and looked into Emralda's magical fire to see Mirren sleeping peacefully.  
  
"Smile while you can kid, 'cause when we put our plan into action, you'll never smile again" Emralda whispered. 


	13. Link's Little Brother Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
The next morning Mirren woke up feeling a little funny. What Zelda had said to him made him feel like a great deal of magic was running through his veins. He felt like he'd never want to tell it to anyone, but it just made him feel great. He had never felt like this before, it was like that was the only thing he could think about. He thought about it for a little while until he thought of something.  
  
"Do I, love her?" he asked himself. He thought of the question for a little bit before shaking his head. "Of course not! What was I thinking!?" he said to himself again. He got out of bed and left his room. Even though he was saying he didn't, there was that thought in the back of his head saying:  
  
"Yes, you do love her"  
  
He knew that today he'd probably leave with Link for Death Mountain Crater to fight the Evil Phoenix, so he went back into his room and took his scabbard off the wall. He grabbed the handle and pulled out his marvelous broadsword. The blade shining in the sunlight, and the golden hilt shining also. He smiled and put it back in the scabbard and attached it to his back. He then took his bow and quiver off the wall and attached that too. He finally took his knapsack and attached it to his belt. He then left the room and began walking down the corridor to the great hall. He opened up the huge doors, and saw Link, all dressed up ready to leave.  
  
"Glad to see you're ready, want any breakfast before we go?" he asked. Mirren shook his head.  
  
"I'm fine, I have some apples and walnuts in my knapsack, I could snack on those if I get hungry" he answered. Link smiled.  
  
"Good, well, ya ready to leave on our final journey?" he asked again. Mirren nodded  
  
"I'm always ready" he answered with a grin. Link smiled at him.  
  
"You're like no other kid I've ever met" he replied, "and Jarlis won't be coming. I guess he's still a little depressed about his grandfather, and he told me he wanted to stay back and train. The same goes for Mardera, so it'll be just us." Mirren laughed.  
  
"Great" he said sarcastically. Link looked at Mirren a little angry at first, but soon smiled and laughed with his little brother. After that they went and said goodbye to everyone. That being Mardera, Jarlis, Faria, Impa, and Zelda. Link had no trouble saying anything to Zelda, but Mirren was a little nervous. Luckily though, he made it out all right without making any really bad mistakes or saying anything stupid.  
  
For the next hour, Link and Mirren flew Goldenfire all the way through Death Mountain to the Goron Capital, Goron City. They decided it'd be best if they first spoke with Darunia first before they made a mad dash into Death Mountain Crater to fight the Evil Phoenix. Goron City was now much much larger than before. Over the years, the Gorons had carved into the rock and built rooms to sleep in, an armory, an archive, a dining hall, and even more shops. They walked down the numerous stairs and pathways through the city and finally came to Darunia's room. They walked into the torch lighten room, and saw Darunia just standing next to the large, Goron-like pillar in his room.  
  
"Good ta see ya Brother!" he exclaimed mainly to Link, "I've been expectin' you! I see ya brought Mirren!" Link smiled and rubbed Mirren's head.  
  
"Yep, wouldn't go anywhere without my little bro!" he replied. Darunia also smiled and walked to Mirren.  
  
"Yo Mirren!" he said, "Ya know, your brother and me are sworn brothers, and I'd appreciate it if you would become my sworn little brother!" Darunia put a hand out for a shake from Mirren. Mirren could only laugh a little and put his hand out also. They both shook each other's hands and smiled.  
  
"Alright! Thata boy!" Darunia said patting Mirren on the head. Even though Darunia didn't mean to do it though, with four swift pats, he knocked Mirren flat from the incredible strength. "Alright then, I think it'd be best if I show ya something over by the table, come with me!" Darunia spoke again. As he began walking over, Mirren slowly got up and groaned from the pain as he rubbed his head. Link laughed and knelt down by him.  
  
"Hey, don't take it too hard, I only lasted three pats when I was about your age!" he whispered in his ear. He still laughed a little as he walked over to the table where Darunia was standing. Mirren then finally was on his feet but still hurting a little.  
  
"I don't see what's so funny 'bout me almost getting a concussion!" he said quietly. He then walked over to the table and saw on it a beautiful parchment with a spectacular drawing on it. It was a great bird erupting from flames and burning with the fire. Its mouth was open spewing out a beam of fire.  
  
"I found this in an old room in the city. I believe it has something to do with the Evil Phoenix in Death Mountain Crater" he said. Link looked at the picture and nodded.  
  
"Yep, probably does, that's my guess" he replied, "but it'd be better if they were some writing on it!" Darunia now nodded as he searched for some words on the old tapestry, but found none. Mirren then looked at it a little and noticed the bottom was still a little dusty. He blew the dust away revealing Hyrulean Script.  
  
"Aha!" exclaimed Link, "There they are! Nice job Mirren!" He patted Mirren on head again as Mirren smiled. And luckily for him, Darunia didn't pat him; instead he began to read the words on the old tapestry.  
  
"Let's see" he mumbled, "it says; ~The Phoenix of Hyrule, born of Fire, lives off Fire, survives on Fire. The Evil Phoenix has been said to be made of fire, but still that has not been proven true. The Phoenix was trapped years and years ago inside the volcanoes of the crater. The Legendary Hero of the Gorons had driven it into the volcano using the great Megaton Hammer. Once the Phoenix was in, the Hero of the Gorons took a huge boulder and put it on top of the volcano. As hard as the Phoenix would fight to escape from its prison, it could only billow out just smoke. But every once in a while, its fire would escape and create a terrible eruption.~  
  
Link then interrupted Darunia's reading. "So that's why all those eruptions come about!" Link exclaimed, "Man I used to hate those things when I was a kid! All that fire, all that lava, and all those boulders! Darunia growled a little.  
  
"As I was saying." he muttered and then began reading again. ~But even with the many eruptions it had caused, the Evil Phoenix could never escape. But a great seer of Hyrule has predicted that four years after the victory of the Hero of Time, the Scourge's sister would free the Evil Phoenix from its prison and have it ravage Hyrule. Only then would the Brothers of Hyrule defeat it once and for all.~  
  
Everyone was in a serious manner now after the reading from Darunia of the tapestry. They all reflected upon it before Link spoke.  
  
"Well I guess that the Brothers who are supposed to defeat it must be me and Mirren" he said, "and that Emralda is the one who freed it, since Ganondorf is none other than the Scourge." Mirren's face was then one of complete shock.  
  
"Emralda, the woman I saw in my dream, is........ Ganondorf's sister?" he asked fearfully. Darunia nodded and noticed the fear and shock in his eyes. He moved to Link.  
  
"He doesn't remember the battle; does he Link?" he whispered. Link could only shake his head and see the shock and fear on Mirren's face. As the room was completely quiet for a few moments, Darunia folded up the tapestry and broke the silence.  
  
"I think you two should leave for the crater now, you can use the secret entrance behind the pillar" he said. Link nodded and was about to help Darunia move the large statue before they suddenly heard the screams and yells of many Gorons. Link and Mirren instantly took out their swords and dashed out of the room. Darunia then pulled out the huge spear from the wall and followed Link and Mirren into the heart of the city. They got outside, and were shocked at what they saw.  
  
Numerous Dodongos and Dinolfos and were charging into the city and attacking the Gorons. The Dodogos slowly came in on their two legs and began to breathe their fiery breath upon the Gorons and the city. And as they did that, the Dinolfos attacked like mad with their swords. A few Gorons had rushed in and threw a few bombs at the attackers. A bunch was killed, but not enough. They attacked back, and hurt more innocent Gorons. Darunia was as angry as ever.  
  
"Darn those beasts!" he shouted, "I'm gonna kill them all!" A few Dinolfos has rushed down into the middle of the city where the three were, and Darunia beat his chest and charged at them. The first Dinolfos had gone for a cut at his front, but missed and got punched by Darunia's massive fist. Two then attacked him from behind, but were both skewered by Darunia's spear. He kicked both off and stabbed the other to his death. Once he had killed the four, more Dinolfos and even a few Dodongos ran into battle. (Well the Dinolfos ran, but the Dodongos just slowly walked their way through) Darunia charged into battle and Link and Mirren followed.  
  
Darunia literally just destroyed every Dodongo and Dinolfos he saw. Every time he came upon one, he either punched its lights out, or stabbed it to its death with his awesome spear. And as he did that, Link and Mirren fought side by side. Mirren battled off the Dodongos while Link fought the Dinolfos. Link didn't have much trouble, but he'd once in a while be ransacked by one from behind and slashed with their blades. But even when that happened, he'd turn around and slice them to their death. It seemed now it was Darunia, Link, and Mirren against the entire army.  
  
Mirren took out another Dodongo by slashing it at its tail. He then lured another to him and close to the dieing Dodongo. Once the dead Dodongo blew up, he killed the other one too. He grinned at both his success in the fighting, and the complete stupidity of the Dodongos. He then noticed even more of them and even more Dinolfos rushing into battle from the one staircase. He pulled out the Thunder Diamond, and charged it up.  
  
"Fire in the hooooooooooole!" he shouted, and shot the thunderbolt. It hit the area, and blew everything away. "Alright!" he exclaimed. As he jumped up in celebration, Link noticed a bunch of Dodongos coming in from the other staircase.  
  
"Mirren!" he yelled, "go take out those Dodongos, me and Darunia will keep fighting these guys!" Mirren looked towards the opposite staircase and saw the Dodongos. He nodded and ran into battle.  
  
Two of the Dodongos roared and took a deep breath. They then unleashed a spray of fire each. Mirren with his light frame easily dodged them and attacked the Dodongos' tails. The two of them spun around and tried to hit Mirren with their tails. Once again they came up short but charged up a fire spray again. As they did that, two Dodongos began rushing up behind Mirren. He could only grin.  
  
"This is just too easy" he said. The Dodongos then attacked with their fire breath. Mirren again jumped over it and the fire instead hit the other two Dodongos! They roared in pain, and finally fell dead. Mirren then jumped over the original Dodongos and killed them with a cut of his broadsword each. They each let out their own roar, and died. After glowing red for a few seconds, they bodies blew up and blinded Mirren for a second. He coughed from the smoke and covered his eyes, a mistake.  
  
As he protected himself from the blast, a Dodongo let loose a spray of fire upon Mirren. It struck him head on, and knocked him flat. He groaned from the burning pain as two Dodongos began advancing towards his weakened body. He groaned in pain, and got on his knees. He grabbed his blade, and was ready to fight even in his condition. But as they came closer, Mirren noticed a large object falling from above him. He watched it, and soon it landed right in front of him. It was a Minotaur, standing at probably eight feet tall with dark sienna hair, and with two straight golden horns. He was carrying a war-hammer and a double-headed axe, and a gigantic sword was strapped to his back. Mirren's eyes bugged out as the Minotaur roared at the two Dodongos. They seemed to be intimidated by him, and began to back off. But the Minotaur wasn't going to let them escape. He slammed his axe into the one's head, and his war-hammer into the other. They both cried out in pain, and began to glow red ready to explode. The Minotaur then in an incredible show of strength lifted them by their tails and threw them into the gang of Dodongos They exploded when they hit, and killed the others. He watched as the smoke all cleared and when it did, turned to Mirren and walked over to him. He looked at the hurt Mirren grabbed him by the collar. Mirren's eyes bugged out even more as he gulped in fear. The Minotaur then flung Mirren into the air and caught him just before he hit the ground. He stood him upright and finally smiled.  
  
"Hey, my name is Taursus" the huge Minotaur said in a deep but kind voice, "I believe you're Mirren?" Mirren stared at him a little confused since he knew his name, but still smiled.  
  
"Yep, that's me" he replied. As they both smiled, Link finally noticed Taursus.  
  
"Hey Darunia, who's that Minotaur?" he asked. Darunia gored another Dodongo with his spear before he turned to see the huge Minotaur.  
  
"That's Taursus" he answered with a laugh, "he's a great Minotaur warrior who kinda just moved into the mountains a couple years ago. We train together all the time, he's a great warrior! He and I are great friends!" Link smiled at Mirren and Taursus.  
  
"It seems the same way with him and Mirren now" he said. Suddenly Link heard the cries and yells of numerous Dinolfos above him. As he killed two more with his sword, he backed up a little to see what it was. But he didn't need to back up anymore.  
  
Suddenly a huge, crimson dragon crashed through a line of Dinolfos and literally annihilated them! He slashed the first ones to his death and just rammed the rest. As the others escaped, he flew to them and killed two of them with his awesome whip-like tail. He grabbed the others by their necks with his huge claws and began to choke the life out of them. He then flew down into the main part of the city and threw away the dead Dinolfos.  
  
"Hey Darunia, need some help!?" he yelled. Darunia smiled.  
  
"I could use it right about now!" he yelled back. The dragon now smiled and turned to a bunch of charging Dodongos. He sneered at them and unleashed a terrible fire breath. It struck of couple of them and created just a wave of flame. He kept this up until he noticed a Dinolfos sneaking up behind him. He instantly turned around and breathed fire on it. It cried in pain and was just burnt to a crisp.  
  
Link could only stare in awe of this dragon. He was absolutely amazing! He was probably twelve feet tall, and had a yellow underbody. His claws seemed even sharper than the Master Sword! Not to mention his tail was practically a built in whip!  
  
"Darunia, who's that now!?" he asked. Darunia couldn't look at Link directly, but he was still able to answer his question even as he stabbed a bunch of Dodongos to their death.  
  
"That's Rubywing" he answered, "he's been watching and spying on the Evil Phoenix for us lately. He's also helped protect travelers here on the mountains. He's a great help here since he can fly and get around quickly. Like I said, he's the one watching the Evil Phoenix, so I've pretty much got everything I know from him. Besides that tapestry of course!" Link looked at Rubywing and smiled.  
  
"Another ally, another friend" he whispered. As the battle went on, Taursus and Mirren fought together. Mirren had decided to battle the Dinolfos, while Taursus fought the Dodongos. Mirren was doing a great job and taking out many Dinolfos. Even though the Dinolfos were quick and agile, they were a big target, and Mirren could often hit them. Also Mirren had a light frame and he was much harder to hit since he was so small.  
  
Taursus didn't have much trouble either. Every time a Dodongo would come crawling to him for an attack, they'd either be smacked by his sword, axe, or war-hammer. Either way it was very painful. And once they began glowing red, he'd throw them at others to hurt from their explosion.  
  
After only about twenty minutes probably, the remaining Dodongos and Dinolfos realized they couldn't win, and retreated back to their caves.  
  
An hour later, everyone who was hurt was healed by the Goron Medics and rested. The Gorons regrouped from the massive battle and went on to do their normal things. As they did that, Link, Mirren, Darunia, Taursus, and Rubywing were in Darunia's room discussing the battle plan.  
  
"Alright brothers, I'll have ta stay here with the Gorons and make sure they'll be alright, so defeating the Evil Phoenix will be your job" he said. The four nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, there's no one better than you to watch over the Gorons" said Link.  
  
"Yeah, and we'll kick that stinky Phoenix's butt anyways!" shouted Mirren jumping up in the air. Taursus laughed at Mirren.  
  
"I like your attitude kid" he said. Darunia then remembered something important for Mirren. He walked over to a nearby closet and gave Mirren a kid-sized Goron Tunic.  
  
"Here Mirren" he said, "You'll need it when you're in Death Mountain Crater." Mirren looked at the red tunic before smiling and putting it on.  
  
Darnunia and Link then walked over to the huge statue and pulled it out; revealing the secret entrance to Death Mountain Crater. The four began to walk through the passage before Rubywing flew in front of them.  
  
"Let me go first, I'll make sure the coast is clear" he whispered. He then flew into the crater a looked around for any sign of the Phoenix. After about a minute, he flew back to the others.  
  
"Let's go" he whispered again. The four then made their way through the passage and into the hot, steamy Death Mountain Crater. Link then remembered his Goron Tunic.  
  
"Oh yeah, I better put on my Goron Tunic too" he said. He then quickly slipped off his green tunic (away from the others, and put on his red Goron Tunic) He walked over to them as he noticed the still broken bridge into the central part of the crater.  
  
"We, we'll need to get across, I got my Longshot" he said. Rubywing then simply lifted himself into the sky and flew across. And as he did that, Taursus somehow amazingly jumped right across to it! Link laughed a little at the great athleticism and was ready to fire the Longshot before he remembered Mirren.  
  
"Oh yeah, you don't have anything to get across, do you?" he asked looking down at him. Mirren looked a little embarrassed and disappointed. He could look at Link and shake his head. Link smiled. "Well don't worry" he reassured, "Just hold onto me and we'll go together" Mirren now smiled and wrapped his arms around him. Once they were both in perfect position, Link asked "Ready?" Mirren nodded.  
  
"You bet!" he answered. Link grinned.  
  
"Be ready for quite a ride" he said. Link then fired the Longshot to a nearby pole and the two literally just flew across the gap and landed on the other side Mirren yelled a little but managed to land fine. He caught his breath from the excitement before looking up at Link happily.  
  
"That was awesome!" he exclaimed. Link still smiled and rubbed his little brother's head. They both then walked over to Taursus and Rubywing.  
  
"So, where do ya think it is?" Mirren asked. Rubywing looked around strangely.  
  
"I don't know child" he answered, "It should've been awake the second we walked in!" Suddenly the whole crater shook and fire began spewing out from one of the volcanoes.  
  
"I think it's coming out!" shouted Taursus trying to keep his balance. After a few more seconds of spitting lava, the Evil Phoenix erupted from the volcano and let out a terrible screech. It looked down at the four intruders, and screeched again. It then came fully out of the volcano and began flying around the crater as fire followed it. It must've been thirty feet tall. And its wing span was probably over seventy feet long! Its head was that of an eagle, except a bright orange. It landed in the lava near them, and screeched again even louder.  
  
"What I'd do to be in the Water Temple right now" said Link.  
  
Back at Hyrule Castle, it was time for more training. Zelda knew that Mirren and Link would most definitely be back not too long after they defeated the Evil Phoenix, so she and Faria got ready for the challenge they'd issue to Link and Mirren.  
  
"Try this Zelda!" yelled Faria, and used her eye beams. The green beams of energy rocketed from her eyes and soared towards Zelda. But Zelda used her mental energy and destroyed the beams. She grinned at the awe struck Faria and began to get her energy cloths ready. She fired them out from her hands the pink strands of energy flew towards Faria. She knew she had only one chance to escape. She threw her arms in the air and soon brought them down again. Just before the cloths were about to strike her, she teleported away. Zelda was very surprised at this, but proud too that her little sister had finally learned to teleport. Suddenly Faria appeared behind her and shot a large beam of yellow energy at Zelda. Zelda quickly turned around and shot one of her own. These were the beams that Zelda had actually used to paralyze Ganon when Link fought him four years ago after his Tower had collapsed. The two strong female sorcerers put in more and more power by the second. Either beam just couldn't find a way to beat out the other, and soon there was an explosion of energy, and the two girls were knocked down by the power. They both lay on the courtyard ground for a few minutes before getting up and smiling at each other.  
  
"Nice practice Faria, we're gonna do great in that battle" said Zelda. Faria nodded happily.  
  
"I know, they're gonna be sooo surprised when they see us almost stronger than them!" she replied. Both Zelda and Faria let out a laugh.  
  
Back at Death Mountain Crater, the four warriors were basically getting no where fast. Every time they go in for an attack, the Evil Phoenix would knock them flat. Mirren and Link got a couple arrow shots into it, but they didn't do much. The Phoenix kept on shooting beams of fire at them and burning them to a crisp. In fact, Link and Mirren already used their Red Potions since they got the poop beaten out of them already! But they didn't give up. Rubywing often tried to distract it by flying around, but that only resulted in massive pain by the Evil Phoenix smacking him with its wing. After a while, Taursus had about just enough and pulled out his war- hammer. As the Evil Phoenix came diving in, he simply stood there.  
  
"Taursus! Get outta there!" shouted Link. Taursus didn't move.  
  
"What are you brain dead!?" yelled Mirren, "are you missin' some chromosomes or something!? Move!!!!!" Taursus still stood with a glare in his eye on the Phoenix.  
  
"Sometimes boys, you gotta make a sacrifice to hurt your opponent" he said. The Evil Phoenix then was only about twenty feet from his. He roared and jumped at the oncoming Phoenix. He lifted his war-hammer above his head and finally brought it down onto the Phoenix's head. It screeched in pain, and still hit Taursus like a truck, only ten times worse. He grunted in pain and was sent flying. He crashed into the ground, and Link instantaneously ran to his side and began to help him. As he did that, Mirren thought of a plan.  
  
He got his blade ready and jumped on the flying bean plant and began flying in the air on it. He watched as the Phoenix flew around recklessly and waited for a moment. After a little bit, the Evil Phoenix came under him for about three seconds; just enough time. Mirren jumped off the plant and screamed. He got his sword in perfect position and came falling down. He soon landed on the Phoenix and drove his sword straight into its back. It screeched as loud as ever from the incredible pain and tossed Mirren off. He plummeted through the air and screamed on the way down. Link immediately saw this and began running to catch Mirren. He burned across the wide area and was just able to get under Mirren just in time to catch him. Mirren's small body literally just fell into Link's arms and landed fine. And luckily Link wasn't knocked down by the force since Mirren was so small and light.  
  
"What would you do without me?" asked Link with a smile. Mirren shook his head from the dizziness of falling so high and so fast.  
  
"Wuh, what did you say?" he asked back. Link sighed and put Mirren down and walked away. Mirren stood there a little confused.  
  
"No I'm serious, what did you say?" he asked again.  
  
With the Phoenix hurt and flying around recklessly again, Rubywing took the chance to get some more damage in. He flew right in front of the Phoenix and shot a blast of fire at it. It screeched in pain and crashed into one of the sides of the crater. Rubywing then let out another blast of fire and made an avalanche of rocks come down onto the Evil Phoenix. It screeched even more, and fell into the lava. Rubywing watched as its huge body sank into the molten magma and finally flew down by Link and the others.  
  
"Everyone alright?" Rubywing asked. Taursus rubbed his head a little and fully got up on his feet.  
  
"I took a painful hit, but I'm fine" he replied.  
  
"No problems here" Link answered. Rubywing looked to Mirren who only smiled.  
  
"Do I even need ta say it?" he asked. Rubywing and the others laughed.  
  
"I guess not, well that's good, nice job guys, we did it" he said. But Rubywing spoke too soon. Suddenly the Evil Phoenix erupted from the lava and screeched at them. Lava flew out and landed all around them. It slowly got out of the massive pool of magma and fluttered over onto the large area where they stood. Taursus then remembered something. He smacked his forehead.  
  
"How could I have been so stupid!?" he yelled. Everyone looked at him strangely.  
  
"What the matter Taursus?" asked Link. Taursus took his hand off his forehead and looked at the Phoenix instead of Link.  
  
"I forgot that the Phoenix is immortal, every time you kill it, it comes back to life!!!" he yelled. Everyone's' jaws dropped in fear and looked at the mad as heck Phoenix. It suddenly let out a terrible screech and began to flap its wings rapidly. After a few moments, hundreds of flames began to fly from the wings and soar towards the four. Rubywing wrapped himself up in his wings and protected himself. Taursus took out his huge sword and began to spin it around so it deflected the flames. Link was about to pulled out his Hylian Shield before he noticed Mirren had nothing to defend himself with.  
  
"Mirren! Take the shield!" he yelled, and threw it to him. Mirren caught the shield, knelt down, and put it in front of him and began blocking the many flames. As he did that, Link cast Nayru's Love and thought of some way he could stop the Phoenix.  
  
As he thought and thought of some plan that could possibly save them, he realized he needed to think of a plan even faster. It was obvious that Rubywing's wings were all ready burnt badly and couldn't take much more, Taursus's arms were getting tired and one by one flames began to scorch his body, and that the force from the hits was weakening Mirren. He gritted his teeth in frustration and finally thought of something.  
  
"Ice" he whispered to himself. Then whipped out his bow and arrow and loaded up an Ice Arrow. He aimed it at one of the Phoenix's wings, and fired. The arrow struck the large wing and froze it. The Phoenix stopped its terrible attack and stared at its frozen wing in shock. Link fired another and soon both wings were frozen solid.  
  
"Mirren! Use your Ice Diamond and freeze the rest of its body!" Link shouted, "Then call Goldenfire as quick as possible, I've got a plan!" Mirren knew the seriousness of the situation and obeyed his brother. He set aside the shield and pulled out the Ice Diamond. He charged it up, and fired a beam of ice at the Phoenix. It struck its body, and completely froze its head, chest, and talons. He then put the Ice Diamond away and took out his redwood ocarina. He played Goldenfire's melody, and soon that familiar roar was heard. Goldenfire landed next to Mirren, as Taursus and Rubywing stood awe struck.  
  
"What now?" asked Mirren.  
  
"Tell Goldenfire to hold the Phoenix" Link answered pointing to it, "We gotta get to Zora's Fountain as fast as possible! Everyone get on! Besides you Rubywing since you can fly after all." Rubywing and Taursus were still amazed, but did as said. Rubywing lifted himself into the sky as Link and the others hopped onto Goldenfire. He held the frozen Phoenix and flew out of the crater. They soared through Death Mountain and were soon flying over Zora's River. They went over the waterfall and over the water cavern that was Zora's Domain. They soon landed in the cold, glacier filled Zora's Fountain and got off Goldenfire. (Zora's Domain had thawed out by now, but Zora's Fountain was still the same)  
  
"Alright we're here" said Mirren, "now what's the plan?" asked Mirren. Link pointed to the Ice Cavern.  
  
"We gotta get it inside there" he answered, "but in order to do that, we gotta break it into smaller pieces. Then all we gotta do is totally freeze the entrance to it, and the Phoenix shall be trapped forever." Everyone nodded and got to work, they knew they didn't have a lot of time. Goldenfire sliced up the pieces one by one, and Taursus, Rubywing, and Link grabbed the pieces and took them into the cavern. As they did that, Mirren stayed back and began to freeze it wherever it began to thaw using the Ice Diamond. After a great deal of rushing and working as fast as possible, all the pieces of the Phoenix were in the Ice Cavern, and Mirren froze the entrance with the Ice Diamond. They all sighed with relief. The Evil Phoenix was trapped, their mission, was a success.  
  
After the battle, Goldenfire flew away, but Taursus still asked Mirren about him.  
  
"Well ya see" began Mirren, "I met Goldenfire when I was younger, and he actually saved me from a river. After that whole ordeal, him and I began to become great friends. And as I grew older and stronger, I learned to handle him and keep him my responsibility. And I also taught him to come to me whenever I play that song. So I guess you could say me and him are just plain lifelong pals." Everyone laughed as they jumped from glacier ready to leave. But once they got on the last block of ice, a splash was heard, and a familiar voice at that. At least for one of them.  
  
"Yoo hoo! Link!" it shouted. Link froze in fear and gulped. His face went as white as the ice and slowly turned around. He gulped again and was nearly ready to collapse from the fear and nervousness. Out from the water, came his worst nightmare ever, even worse than Ganon; Ruto. The adult Zora Sage ran over to him with pure joy in her face and her arms out wide.  
  
"Link it's you! Finally!" she said. She then jumped at Link and embraced him with the biggest hug. Link tried to escape, but his so-called ex-fiancé kept her hug incredibly tight. Mirren looked at her with surprise.  
  
"You're girlfriend?" he asked pointing her. Link's face now went from white to red.  
  
"OF COURSE NOT!!!!" he shouted. Ruto let go of her hug and looked at Link but with her arms still around him.  
  
"Don't worry Link, I understand it's embarrassing to admit you love someone in front of friends, especially your little brother" she said happily. Link was now white again.  
  
"I do not love you!" he yelled, "~You~ love me! Big difference there Ruto! Big difference!!" Ruto then smiled slyly.  
  
"You know what they say Link, when two people fight, they really ~love~ each other" she spoke. Link gulped even more and tried to back off. He soon did, and broke away from her grasp.  
  
"Listen Ruto" he began, "I like you as a friend, but not as my true love. I would seriously tell you if I did, but for now, just ~friend~." Taursus and Rubywing were on the verge of bursting out into laughter and tears. A sudden gust of wind blew, and it sent a wave flying to the glacier everyone was on. Mirren was right on the edge, and when it hit, it knocked him right forward. He stumbled, and knocked into Link accidentally. Link had no time to react, and also fell forward, into the absolute worst spot he had ever been in in his life.  
  
He fell into Ruto, and his lips planted against hers into an accidental kiss. His eyes bugged out more than ever as Ruto's filled with glee. He instantly jumped away and began spitting like heck, while Ruto smiled with glee still in her eye.  
  
"I knew it Link" she said slyly again with a smile. Link gasped from fear and nervousness before turning around to see Mirren. Instantly, his face was enraged. Mirren smiled nervously and began sweating bullets.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that bro" he said nervously, "I really didn't mean to." Mirren got nothing more out. Link grabbed him by the collar and glared at him.  
  
"You. are.mine!" he said quietly but still mad. Mirren yelled in fright and began running away as Link chased him waving his fist yelling threats of all sorts.  
  
The ride back to Hyrule Castle was a slow, and very silent one. Taursus had decided to come with Link and Mirren to the castle and stay there for a while. He told Rubywing to tell Darunia. He knew Darunia wouldn't mind, but he just wanted him to know what was going on.  
  
Before they left though, Link got his revenge on Mirren and beat the living poop out of him. That's why they were flying Goldenfire so slow, since the only half-conscious Mirren was controlling him. Taursus still didn't understand how Mirren was able to stand or be alive for that matter after the great beating he got from Link, but didn't say anything. Link didn't even bother talking to either one of them. He simply turned from Mirren and rubbed some of his Red Potion on his lips to get rid of the terrible feeling from the kiss with Ruto.  
  
After about half an hour, Goldenfire landed in front of Hyrule Castle and flew away. The three walked into the castle and to the courtyards to meet Zelda and the others. When they got there, they found Mardera and Jarlis training, and Zelda and Faria doing some telepathic exercises. Zelda instantly noticed Link and the others though and ran over to them.  
  
"You guys are finally back!" she exclaimed, "good to see you all!" Zelda then noticed Taursus. She now grinned. "Let me guess Link, another buddy?" she asked. Link smiled.  
  
"I guess you could say that, I hope you don't mind" he replied. Zelda smiled.  
  
"I don't mind at all, the more the merrier!" she said. Taursus, Link, and Zelda then laughed. They laughed and laughed until noticed the semi- conscious Mirren.  
  
"Mirren, are you okay?" she asked sounding concerned, "what happened?" She waited for an answer but really didn't get one.  
  
"Uhhh. something, big fight, in Zora's Fountain. lots of punches smacks. uhh I don't remember" he answered in a dead type of tone not even looking at her. Zelda then knelt down in front of him and put her hands on his cheeks.  
  
"Maybe this'll help you remember" she said. She closed her eyes and her hands began glowing light blue. She used a special healing power just then. After a few seconds, all the bruises and cuts on Mirren were healed and he fully opened his eyes and was now also fully conscious. Zelda then stood up and took her hands off him.  
  
"Now, what happened?" she asked. Mirren thought for a split second and finally said a complete answer.  
  
"Oh yeah!' he exclaimed, and pointed to Link, "that jerk of a brother beat me up just because I ~accidentally~ knocked into him and made him kiss Ruto! All on ACCIDENT!!!" Link went pale again and gulped in fear. Zelda turned to Link and glared at him.  
  
"You ~beat~ him up because of a stupid ~accident~!!??" she yelled. Link gulped again and began sweating bullets from nervousness.  
  
"Well I mean ya can't blame me!" he began saying very nervously, "I mean that stupid Ruto has always been on my case about loving me and wanting to marry me so when he knocked into me and made me kiss her I felt like." Link didn't even get a single syllable out after that. Fed up with his stupid excuse and the fact he nearly broke poor Mirren in half, Zelda took her right hand and slapped him across the face! Link's head turned from the hit as he puffed from the force of it.  
  
Everyone's jaws instantly dropped from shock for the fact that Zelda actually slapped Link! Even Mirren's mouth dropped! Sure he wanted revenge on Link, but Zelda slapping him was nothing he ever planned for! Or wanted for that matter! He then ran over to her and grabbed her arm.  
  
"Okay okay okay Zelda!" he said, "I think that was a little too much! I just wanted you ta be mad at him and maybe possibly me take him on in a one on one fight but that was nothing I ever wanted!" Zelda still glared at him and didn't look at Mirren.  
  
"I understand, but that was something that will make him think!" she said, "The Hero of Time must learn to channel his anger and not beat someone up, especially a little kid like you, for such stupid reasons! And I still believe there should be an apology right now!" Link finally turned his back and put it down in shame.  
  
"Alright" he said, "sorry about that Mirren, I really was an idiot. You can smack me one if ya like" Mirren glared at Link as he balled up his fist ready to punch his older brother for the massive beating he got. He reared back, and let it fly. But surprising, it stopped, and spread out in the form of a hand shake. Everyone looked at it in surprise, even Link did. He stared at the smiling Mirren with complete confusion on his face.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it" Mirren spoke, "It was actually kinda funny if ya think about the whole situation. I don't care, just as long as you agree to a one on one sword-fight, right here, right now" Link still looked at him in confusion, but soon smiled and shook his little brother's hand.  
  
"You're on" he replied. Everyone cheered as Link looked at Zelda, who was now smiling at him. 


	14. Link's Little Brother Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
As usual, Emralda and Ganondorf were looking into her magical fire watching as Mirren's day went by. They were both a little angry that he and Link and the others defeated the Evil Phoenix, but they were still happy for other reasons.  
  
For one, it seemed Mirren had gained a new friend Taursus, who which made another target for Emralda and Ganondorf to capture. And, with the defeat of the Evil Phoenix, it put them one step closer to beginning their real plan.  
  
"Well, this will certainly be interesting" said Ganondorf watching the fire, "Link going up against his little brother, now we can see their true power." Emralda smiled.  
  
"Yes, we'll finally see how powerful that kid can be" she added. Ganondorf smiled too.  
  
"Ya know, I was thinking of beginning our plan tomorrow" he began, "but I believe it'd be better if we waited a while, don't you think my sister?" Emralda turned from the fire and looked at her brother strangely.  
  
"Why do you say that Ganondorf?" she asked.  
  
"Because, I say we wait a while, so that he has a great time" he began, "think about it. We'll let him live in peace and joy for a little while, and when we finally begin, he'll be crushed. I mean, his life will have been so great. Pure peace, joy, happiness, and his best friends, and then one day, his life begins to crash. He begins to lose the ones he loves most rapidly, and soon it'll take its toll on him. He'll come here in pure rage, and we then kill his friends, and then kill him!" Ganondorf laughed wickedly as Emralda smiled.  
  
"Great plan my brother" she replied, "that plan will." Suddenly a guard burst through the doors to the throne room.  
  
"Lady Emralda" he said with a bow, "I have news for you, a cart of rupees from a destroyed town has come." Emralda no longer smiled, in fact, she was angry as ever.  
  
"How dare you just barge into our room without a single knock, we have important business being done here!" she shouted, "Now, you'll learn never to bother us ever!" Emralda raised her staff with the dark green crystal on top into the air and shot a bolt of energy from it. It hit the guard, and made him scream in pain. Soon the energy disappeared, and his dead body fell to the ground scorched by the magic's power. Emralda sneered at the dead guard and sat back down in her chair. Ganondorf smiled wickedly.  
  
"Nicely done" he complimented, "now, let's watch the battle." Emralda looked into the flame and finally put an evil grin on.  
  
"This will most certainly be entertaining" she spoke evilly.  
  
Everyone had gathered into the Castle Training Grounds for the battle between Link and Mirren. The battle that would finally show which of the two heroic brothers was the toughest and best warrior. The only people who were there were Zelda, Faria, Jarlis, Mardera, Taursus, and Impa. But that really didn't matter to either one of the warrior brothers.  
  
Once everything was ready, Link and Mirren pulled out their main weapons. There was no rule on how many weapons you could use, so Link's entire arsenal of items and weaponry was waiting. Link pulled out his Mirror Shield and the Master Sword, while Mirren only took of his broadsword. The two brothers stared at each other with pure seriousness and determination in their eyes. After a few moments, Link put down his shield, and extended his arm out for a good-sportsman hand shake. Mirren looked at the hand, and smiled. He let out a quiet laugh, and returned it. They then both looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They both then stepped back, and got ready to fight. Zelda stood up.  
  
"All right, you know the rules" she announced. She then raised her right arm into the air and soon brought it down. "Begin"  
  
Instantly Link lunged at Mirren and gave a mighty slash to his younger brother. Mirren saw this coming and cart wheeled to the left. He got fully up as Link went for another. He jumped back and jumped back again as Link attempted a stab. Link then rushed in and assaulted him with a vertical slash. Mirren put his sword up horizontally and blocked the attack. The second this happened, Link raised his boot and kicked Mirren square in the stomach.  
  
Mirren puffed and dropped to the ground. He lay vulnerable to any attack as Link went for his second vertical slash. Mirren saw this just in time and rolled forward to evade the attack. He slowly got up and looked at his brother through a face of pain holding his hurt chest. Link returned it as he gritted his teeth.  
  
"Stop being a coward!" he shouted, "fight back!" Link still glared at his brother as Mirren let go of his chest. His face of pain washed away, and he grinned.  
  
"You got it" he whispered. He then yelled and charged at Link. He was so fast that Link could only barely lift his Mirror Shield up as Mirren brought his blade down. It crashed up against the mighty shield and created an explosion of sparks. Link was blinded by the light and closed his eyes from the pain, while Mirren had closed his before since he knew there'd be a mess of sparks. He opened his eyes and slashed his sword right across Link's face.  
  
Link grunted in pain and collapsed from the hit. Everyone gasped as Link groaned in pain. He soon looked up and saw Mirren standing above him with a face of determination and seriousness like before. He noticed blood on Mirren's broadsword and rubbed his right cheek. It stung a little, but soon looked at blood-covered hand. Everyone now saw the bloody cut on his face and was amazed by it. Mirren stared at his brother for a few more moments before backing away. Link looked at him a little confused but soon smiled.  
  
"Letting for weakened opponent get up" he said as he got up, "very wise, very mature, very virtuous. a very big mistake." Link then slammed the Master Sword into Mirren's stomach. Everyone once again gasped in fear as Zelda and Faria both covered their mouths from shock. Mirren gasped in agony as a couple drops of blood trickled from his mouth. His eyes widened in pain and shock, and he finally closed them. Link took him off the sword as Mirren fell to the ground. Link looked into the crowd and saw Zelda with a face of disbelief. Link was about to answer her questions of "why?"  
  
"Forgive me for doing that, but I was teaching you a lesson" Link began looking down at Mirren, "I know that was a cheap, dirty, and unfair move, but I had to do it sometime. I was teaching you Mirren, that not all fighters in Hyrule will play fair. You must learn to never stop fighting, even when they're down. And you must never show mercy to them, or they'll just take advantage of it and attack you. I promise to never use such a maneuver again; I only did this time to teach you something." Link then turned around and began walking away. He walked a few steps before turning around again. He looked at Mirren. "And not too bad on the fight, well at least for what it was" he said. He turned around again and began walking. After a few steps, he heard Zelda, Faria,and Mardera gasp. He also heard another odd sound. He turned around, and his eyes widened in shock.  
  
Mirren was getting up. He was holding his stomach as pulled himself up by his sword, which was planted into the ground blade first. He grunted from the pain as he did this, and was soon on his feet. He looked at the shocked Link, and spit some blood out of his mouth before speaking.  
  
"What do you mean, for what it was?" he asked with a grin, "I'm not giving up yet, perhaps you are, but I'm still gonna fight if you're willing." Everyone's jaws dropped from what Mirren was saying. He had got stabbed like all heck by the most powerful sword in the history of Hyrule and probably had the biggest gash ever on his stomach. And yet he still wasn't giving up!!! Link still stared at him with shock on his face. He couldn't believe Mirren was actually after that attack. He still stared at him for a few moments before letting out a laugh.  
  
"Well bro, I'll fight if you'll fight" he said shrugging. Mirren then got his complete balance and got in a battle position with his broadsword. The two stared down each other before Mirren finally let out a yell and charged at Link. He did another slash, but Link blocked it with the Mirror Shield and attempted a nice cut. Mirren did a back flip and landed perfectly on his feet. Link rushed at him and did a slice. Mirren was just able to raise up his blade to block the attack. Once that happened, he pulled his sword away and did a slice of his own to Link. Again the attack was denied and Link went for another stab. Mirren blocked the shot, but was sent flying from the force.  
  
He hit the ground and breathed heavily. He was hurt pretty bad, and he was very tired. He lifted up his head and saw Link coming down in the air for a falling sword attack. He rolled away and evaded to the attack as the Master Sword dug into the earth. Mirren seized the opportunity and ran at Link for another slash. But when he got to him, Link instantly pulled out the Master Sword and gave another slash to Mirren. He screamed in pain and flew to the ground again, clutching his arm which had been hit.  
  
As Mirren rived in pain, Link rested on the Master Sword. Mirren was a very good fighter, and was very difficult to hit for his very small size and his great agility. He also did some really strong attacks! In fact, that was more than half of why Link was resting, since Mirren had attacked so aggressively. Soon, Mirren had managed to get up, and Link went for another attack. He did a vertical slash on his left cheek, and knocked him back. A bloody cut opened up on Mirren's cheek, but he retaliated with a slice that caught Link's other cheek. He also was knocked back, and now had a bloody cut on both sides of his face. They both then yelled and each went for a stab. They both connected each other in the chest, and the two brothers were knocked down.  
  
They both lay breathing heavily and groaning from the incredible pain they were feeling. Bloody still poured from their wounds, and it began to stain the ground they were resting on. Everyone still watched in shock from the great fighting skills they were using, and from the massive pain they must've been feeling. Zelda watched very nervous of the battle. She liked both of them very much, and didn't want either one to be hurt. Mirren since he was so small, and because he was such a sweet kid in her mind. And Link since well, she practically loved him. She wanted the battle to end right now, but unfortunately for her, they both got up and were ready to fight.  
  
They both looked at each other and were determined to win the battle. They both wanted to be victorious and be the greatest warrior brother, but they both knew if they didn't kick it up a notch, they wouldn't win. Mirren decided to do more flying around and use more speed, but Link had a different idea.  
  
"Mirren, I'm not getting much farther in this battle with the Master Sword and Mirror Shield" he said and threw them away, "so I've decided to use something else, and finish this battle once and for all!" Link the pulled out the massive Biggoron's Sword and held it ready for battle with a grin on his face. Mirren just froze in shock from the size of the sword, and couldn't believe how amazing it was.  
  
"This is the Biggy" said Link still grinning, "Let's see if you can stop me now." Everyone watched in shock and fear for Mirren, they were all very worried about him. The Biggoron's Sword was incredibly hard to get around and was more painful as ever. It actually did double the damage of the Master Sword, although it was hard to defend with since you couldn't have a shield while fighting with it.  
  
Link then decided he wanted to end the battle right then and there. He got in position, and bent his knees a little. He also positioned the Biggy correctly, and he began charging up for a spin attack. Mirren gasped and froze in shock again. He had no way he could escape, even if he tried to block it, he'd still get hurt. And there was no way to escape from its long range. The energy around the blade then turned from blue to orange, and Link was ready to attack. He spun around and let the sword fly as the energy came around with it. The blade came soaring to Mirren, and he only closed his eyes ready to feel the pain. Everyone turned away and not to see it. Zelda gasped in fear for Mirren and was ready to end the battle. Link spun around again and unleashed the final bits of his power. All the orange energy disappeared off the Biggy, and Link turned to see how badly hurt Mirren was. He looked, and his eyes widened in shock. Everyone watching then turned to see what happened, and their jaws dropped straight down.  
  
There, was Mirren crouching with his eyes closed and his body shaking in fear. He finally opened them and looked around. He felt no pain at all from the attack. He jumped up and couldn't believe he wasn't hurt.  
  
"I don't-believe it" said Link out loud, "I-missed." Everyone still watched in surprise before bursting out into laughter. They all laughed and laughed until tears began to pour from their eyes. Even Zelda laughed, in fact she laughed more than anyone else! As they laughed, Link gritted his teeth at Mirren. "You're goin' down!" he shouted and thrust his sword at Mirren. Mirren jumped straight up, and landed on the Biggy. Link's eyes widened again from surprise. He gulped as Mirren reared back and unloaded a great vertical slash on him. It hit Link and knocked him back on the ground. Mirren yelled and rushed at Link for another attack. But Link saw this right away and got up. As Mirren charged at him, Link did another thrust with the Biggoron's Sword. This one hit Mirren, and made him freeze in pain. Link then lifted the sword in the air with Mirren still on the top of it. Everyone watched in horror as Mirren slowly lost consciousness and as some of his blood slowly came down the blade. Zelda and Faria covered their mouths for fear of Mirren. Link realized he had won, and threw Mirren off it. He turned around as Mirren fell through the air; the biggest mistake he ever made in the battle.  
  
With Link not looking, Mirren stretched out his broadsword and made his blade slice Link's back as he fell to the ground. Link roared in pain as the sword cut right through his tunic and skin. Mirren finally crashed on the ground as Link fell to his knees and then finally to the ground totally. Everyone gasped from the incredible move by Mirren, and watched and waited for them to get up (if they could) and continue the battle. They waited and waited, and realized they both probably couldn't fight. Link and Mirren finally got up on their knees after minutes of riving in pain. They both looked at each as they breathed heavily from their fatigue and blood flowing from their wounds. Finally Link said something.  
  
"Hey Mirren, I don't think I can go on anymore" he said, "I'm too weak, I can't fight. Wanna call this thing a draw?" Everyone watched and waited for Mirren's answer as he stared at Link. He finally smiled.  
  
"Sure" he answered. Everyone then sighed with relief that there'd be no more bloodshed and cheered for the two mighty brothers. Both Link and Mirren then pulled out their Red Potions and uncorked them.  
  
"Cheers" they said in unison, and drank the red healing liquids. They drank and drank and soon both bottles were empty. Also all their cuts and bruises healed, and they felt like they did before the fight. They got up and walked over to everyone. They congratulated them and talked to them.  
  
"Nice fight guys" said Taursus.  
  
"You did great" spoke Mardera.  
  
"Yeah, you both pulled off some great techniques" complimented Jarlis.  
  
"You guys had me worried" added Impa.  
  
"Yeah, you guys are the greatest warriors I've ever seen!" exclaimed Faria. They both thanked them all as Zelda walked over to them.  
  
"Great job guys" she said as she put her hand on Mirren's shoulder. "You did great Mirren, you're a great fighter for your age and size" she said smiling. Mirren smiled back and blushed a little. She then turned to Link who was smiling at her. She smiled back. "You did great too, Hero of Time" they both then hugged each other as everyone watched with a smile on their face. But for Link and Zelda, it was just a friendly hug, not like when someday possibly they'd tell each other they really loved the other. But for now, it was a start.  
  
A little while later, the group had dinner in the courtyards. The cooks had prepared an excellent meal of shrimp and salmon for the success and great fight between Link and Mirren. They all ate their fills and drank as much of the Plum Cider as they could. After the dinner, a few troubadours came out and began to play music for them. They all went right in the middle of a daisy garden and danced to the wonderful sounds. Mirren had actually turned out to be a good dancer, impressing everyone with excellent spins, flips, jumps, and other aerial moves. Half the time, Link or Taursus would throw him up into the air and let him pull off an even better trick. One time he did an amazing flip and fell down on his stomach, so he actually pulled off a 450* flip. That was easily the best trick he had pulled off that night, and for him it was even better since Zelda was the one to catch him!  
  
After about a half-hour, the troubadours decided to finish off the night with a slow dance. Everyone instantly left the area except Link and Zelda, who somewhat reluctantly decided to dance. But they did it even in front of everyone, and did pretty well.  
  
"Man, I just hate slow dancing in front of everyone, it can be so embarrassing!" said Mirren.  
  
"I agree, and then it's like you love the person!" added Faria, "slow dancing is my biggest fear."  
  
"Same here" replied Mirren. As they watched Zelda and Link dance, suddenly Taursus and Impa sneaked up behind them with a grin on their faces. Jarlis and Mardera held in their laughter as they got right behind them. Once they were, they grabbed them and held them in the air.  
  
"Then I guess you two gotta face your fears!" Impa and Taursus said together. Mirren and Faria yelled in surprise and nervousness as they were thrown into the dancing area. They landed right next to Zelda and Link's feet as they looked up. The two of them were smiling at their younger siblings.  
  
"Come on Mirren!" said Link, "I'm dancing with Zelda, if you dance with Faria, then it'll be the brothers with the sisters!"  
  
"Yeah, and it'll be so cute!" added Zelda. Faria scowled.  
  
"I hate it when you use that word for me, cute!" she yelled. Everyone except Mirren laughed at Faria's remark.  
  
"Come on you two, don't be wimps!!" yelled Jarlis. Mirren's face then went into his surprised-angry face as he turned to Jarlis.  
  
"Did you say..wimp?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow. Jarlis burst out into laughter.  
  
"Losing your hearing now ya wimp!?" Jarlis shouted. Mirren was now incredibly annoyed. The same went for Faria. She just couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"That's it!" she shouted as she turned to Mirren, "I don't like being called a wimp either Mirren! Let's just get this over with!"  
  
"You got it!" Mirren said back. They both then without hesitating, began to dance. Zelda and Link laughed as they got back to their own dance. Even with the many giggles and laughs still coming from everyone else, Faria and Mirren kept dancing. After a few more minutes, the music stopped. Everyone then helped clean up from the little party as they went to bed, except for Link, Zelda, Mirren, and Faria who stayed outside for a while.  
  
They all sat down and looked up at the stars as Link and Mirren told them of their adventures while they were gone. They told them of the Ogre Galleon, the battle with Captain Gorg, the battle with the sea serpent, everything at Terlon Forest with the Wolf-Bear and even up to now with the Evil Phoenix.  
  
They kept on telling and telling until they had nothing that they could think of anymore. Once they finished, Link and Mirren simply looked up at the stars. As they did that, Zelda and Faria whispered a discussion. Link and Mirren noticed this and watched them strangely. They both looked at each for an answer, but only got a shrug.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys talkin' about?" asked Link. The two sisters finished up their discussion and turned to Link and Mirren with grins on their faces.  
  
"Well boys" began Zelda, "Me and Faria have been training a lot lately with our magical powers, and we've become incredibly strong. So we want to see how strong you guys are. That's why we want to challenge you two to a tag team fight tomorrow, up to it?" Zelda then grinned even more. Mirren's face then went into complete shock as Link grinned back.  
  
"Okay Zelda, the battle's on" Link said. Mirren's face then went pale white as his eyes bugged out. Link then laughed at the fact that Zelda and Faria really wanted to fight them. As he did that, Mirren still freaked out as he just froze in fear and nervousness.  
  
"Well, how about tomorrow at noon?" asked Faria. Link nodded.  
  
"Sounds good" he answered with a laugh, "Good luck though." He laughed even more now as Zelda and Faria walked away with grins on their faces. He kept laughing and laughing and laughing until he finally stopped and turned to Mirren.  
  
"Man, they're goin' down!" he said, "We're gonna destroy them right Mirren?" Mirren then came out from his shock mode and looked at Link very nervous.  
  
"Um. bro, I got some bad news for you" he said grimly. Now Mirren wasn't going to admit how he felt about Zelda, because he still had another reason why he didn't want to fight.  
  
"What's up bro?" asked Link. Mirren gulped.  
  
"Well, ya see, even though I'm such a great warrior and I'm never reluctant to go into battle, I do have this one fear" he said still nervous and grimly.  
  
"And what might that be Mirren?" asked Link. Mirren gulped again.  
  
"Well, I have a very big fear of fighting against girls" he said. Link's eyes widened from shock at Mirren's answer. Mirren looked at Link embarrassed before Link finally let out a laugh. He knelt down next to Mirren and put his hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Well bro, I know this is gonna be hard, but you just gotta face your fear for this one" he spoke, "I can imagine the fear, I mean, I used ta get like that once in a while. But as long as you don't use your full power and go all out on them, you'll never seriously hurt them. And if you accidentally do, it'll still be fine since they have special healing powers. Like when Zelda healed you from before." Link then stood up and began to walk into the castle to go to bed. "Well goodnight Mirren, get some sleep, you'll need all the power you have tomorrow" he said, and walked away.  
  
His words helped Mirren a little, but he was still afraid. The thought of hurting Faria, and especially Zelda made him shiver. He would just feel terrible if he hurt either, and it would be even worse if he hurt Zelda. His fond of her was growing more and more every time he was around her, he really did believe he was starting to fall in love with her. He shook his head and forgot about her for a moment, since he needed a way to not get so nervous tomorrow. He thought of many ideas, but only one seemed to be the best.  
  
"All I have to do is stay away from her in the battle, if I can fight Faria the whole time, hopefully Link can defeat her before I need to fight her" He smiled from the idea and felt better. But as he walked into the castle to go to bed, he still thought of one thing. "I hope that happens."  
  
The next morning, Mirren got up early as usual. He had a good nights sleep, with dreams about the fight. In his dream, it had worked as planned. The battle had begun with him fighting Faria, and Link fought Zelda. It stayed the same the whole battle, and not once did Mirren have to look at Zelda. He got out of bed and changed into new, clean clothes. He took his broadsword off the wall, and strapped the scabbard with it on his back. He looked at his bow and arrow and thought for a moment if he wanted it or not. He decided not to take it, and walked down to the Training Grounds. He got there, and saw no one around, but it would be much different a few hours later when the battle began. He took out his sword and began doing practices with it against the imaginary opponent.  
  
He sliced, slashed, cut, stabbed, and did every other sword technique he knew into the air. He wanted to get a little more training time in before the battle began. After those practices, he began to do some stretches. He first worked on his arms, and then went to his legs. He figured he would need some good speed in the battle to avoid the magical attacks of Zelda and Faria, so he stretched the most on his legs. Once the stretches were done, he began to do some shuttle runs from two of the trees. He had stretched to get his legs ready, now he needed to put them to work.  
  
He ran as fast as he could from yew tree to yew tree touching each one and counting whenever he had touched the two of them. He ran and ran and after the first minute, he was up to 15, and counting. After another two minutes, he finally stopped, and figured he'd done enough. He then took up his blade again and began assault of attacks on one of the large boulders. Each time he brought his blade down; the incredible force chipped away and dented the boulder. He kept this up for a few more minutes before just falling back against one of the smaller and resting there. His broadsword fell from his hands as he breathed heavily from his tiresome training. A few drops of sweat poured from his skin and dropped against the earth. He was very fatigued, but happy he had gotten some nice training in before the battle. He closed his eyes, and began to take a little nap.  
  
Zelda and Link smiled at the sleeping Mirren as they secretly watched through the window.  
  
"He trained very hard just now, I'm not surprised he's sleeping again" said Link.  
  
"Yes, and that little body of his takes so much pain and fatigue, he sure is quite a kid" Zelda added, "He'll probably do great today in our fight." Link then thought of what happened the night before and let out a laugh.  
  
"Don't count on it" he muttered and laughed again. Zelda looked at Link in a surprised way.  
  
"Why, is something wrong with him?" she asked. Link laughed even more.  
  
"Yeah, I'll tell right now since I wanna go eat" he replied as he stopped laughing, "Mirren has a fear of fighting girls, and gets really nervous when he has to. He got so freaked out last night when I agreed to have the fight. I helped him a little, and told him not to worry. I guess he's a little better about it, but who knows really. Just whatever you do, don't go easy on him." He laughed again and began walking away to go have breakfast. Zelda then looked down at Mirren and finally smiled.  
  
"You're such a funny kid Mirren" she whispered, "Don't worry about hurting me; and I promise not to hurt you badly either. And if I do, I'll have something waiting to help you." She smiled at even more, as he slowly opened his eyes. His nap wasn't as long as he expected, but it got his power back. He yawned and stretched his arms out. He looked around and finally looked up to where Zelda had been watching. He really didn't see her, but he could've sworn he saw her dark blonde hair as she walked away. He shrugged and got up as he walked out of the training grounds.  
  
"Please don't let anything go wrong" he thought to himself.  
  
A few hours later, the sun positioned itself correctly, and it was finally noon. Once again it was just the same people coming to watch, Mardera, Jarlis, Taursus, and Impa. But that was better in Mirren's mind, in case anything happened, at least it'd be just them seeing it. They all sat down as Zelda and Faria came out through the left side of the Training Grounds, and as Link and Mirren emerged from the right. The small bunch of friends cheered for both teams as they stared down at each other.  
  
Link smiled, Zelda and Faria grinned, and Mirren just stood there still nervous. Zelda then looked at him and smiled, and he gulped in fear. Soon Impa stood up.  
  
"Alright, teams get ready, and... fight!" Zelda and Faria instantly charged at Link and Mirren ready to attack with their magical powers. Link instantly got in his battle position, while Mirren reluctantly did it.  
  
"Alright bro, I got Zelda, you get Faria!" yelled Link, and charged at Zelda. Mirren watched as his brother dodged an energy bolt from Zelda and go for a slash. He then remembered Faria and watched as she shoot two green beams of energy from her eyes. They came flying at Mirren, and he was just able to lift his sword up in time to block them. Her eyes then lit up blue, and Mirren got smacked by a mental energy attack. He was knocked back and landed hard on the ground. He groaned in pain, and looked up to see a magical fireball coming his way. He rolled out of the way and watched through the smoke as Faria landed. She began running through it as Mirren stuck his foot in. He tripped her, and she fell to the ground. He then jumped away, and got in a battle position ready to fight. The battle was going as he hoped it did.  
  
Back with Zelda and Link, the two had been even almost all of the time. Except the times when Zelda had hit Link with her golden energy beam and Link used his Mirror Shield to send another one of the beams right back at her. Other than those times, it had just been dodging and blocking with them. Zelda used her energy cloths and sent them flying towards Link. He saw these coming and jumped away from them. As he ran to Zelda, he cut them in half and then jumped up from for a jumping slash. He came down, only for Zelda to teleport away and have his sword hit the ground. She appeared a couple yards behind him, and shot a magical fireball at him. Link turned around and jumped up to dodge it. He then pointed his sword at Zelda, and shot a beam of energy at her. It hit her, and knocked her down. She yelled in pain a little, and lay on the ground as she clutched her wounded shoulder. But she soon used a healing spell, and she was up on her feet again.  
  
Mirren wasn't having too hard a time fighting Faria now. Though she had hit him incredibly hard with a magical fireball, and got him with her eye beams. He went for a mighty slash, but like Link, missed as Faria teleported away. She appeared behind him, and shot a blast of energy at him. He couldn't turn around in time, and was hit by the blast and smashed into a tree. He yelled in pain from the pain of both hits, and rested upon the tree as he breathed heavily from fatigue and pain.  
  
"Don't give up Mirren, you haven't lost yet!" yelled Jarlis for encouragement. Mirren heard his friend's words and slowly recovered. He turned around and watched as Faria charged up for another magical fireball. He slowly got in a battle position with his sword, and was ready to deflect it. "Don't go out yet!" Jarlis yelled again. The encouragement from his lifelong friend helped him a lot. He stared down at Faria, and she shot the fireball his way. He raised his sword above his head, and waited for the fireball to reach him. In a matter of seconds, it was only a couple feet from him, and brought the sword down. It hit the fireball, and sent it flying back to Faria. She watched in shock as the ball of magical fire came flying at her. She had no time to react, and was hit by it. She yelled in pain a little and was knocked back. She groaned from the pain for a few moments before opening her eyes. There above her, was Mirren smiling with his sword pointing straight at her.  
  
"You fought well Faria, but I believe you are now defeated" he said. Faria looked at him with disappointment for a few moments before smiling.  
  
"Alright, I give up" she said. She then began to get up, but Mirren put out his hand. She smiled at her friend and took it. He helped her up as the others cheered for her great effort in the battle. As she walked over to them to rest, Mirren smiled again.  
  
"This is great" he though to himself, "with Faria gone all Link needs to do now is defeat Zelda, I won't have to fight her. Thank God!" Suddenly then he heard Link's voice.  
  
"Nice job Mirren!" he said with a thumb up. Mirren turned around and smiled at his brother. But as he saw Zelda sneak up behind Link with a ball of energy in her hand, his face went to that of fear and nervousness.  
  
"Look out Link!" he shouted. Link had no time to turn around. He only felt the blast of energy hit him. He yelled in pain and crashed to the ground. After groaning in pain for a few seconds, he turned his body around and saw Zelda ready to fire her golden energy beam. She grinned at Link, and he smiled back. The next few words, were the worst ones Mirren had ever heard.  
  
"Alright Zelda, I give up, Mirren's all yours" he said. Everyone else cheered for Link's great effort now as Mirren froze in fear and nervousness. His face went pale again as his eyes widened in shock and as his jaw just dropped. Link got up and walked over to where everyone else was. Zelda smiled at Link before finally turning and smiling at Mirren. He began sweating bullets as he gulped in fear. This would be the most difficult battle he had ever fought.  
  
She threw her hands out and shot a magical fireball at him. He snapped out of his trance just in time to jump sideways from the blast. He watched as it exploded on the ground next to him. He then looked over to see Zelda; but she was no longer there. He quickly turned around, not in time though to dodge Zelda's mental attack. The wave of mental energy hit him like a truck and sent him flying. He yelled in pain and landed hard on the ground. He groaned in pain for a few seconds before beginning to get up. He looked at Zelda, and saw the energy cloths coming his way.  
  
He just in time jumped over them as they were about to hit him. He landed swiftly and got in a battle position. Even though he looked very reluctant to fight, he still stood in his position. He stared at Zelda half nervous and half fierce. She could only grin. He then remembered the energy cloths and before he knew it, they came flying back and wrapped around him. He screamed in pain as the pink cloths of energy sent a force of magical power running through his body. The power of it was intense, and was hurting him badly. He screamed in pain again before Zelda threw her arms down and made the energy cloths and Mirren come down on the ground. He smashed into the ground and yelled again in pain. Zelda the let the cloths come back to her as they disappeared. She looked at the hurt Mirren as he grunted in pain in the indented ground. She closed her eyes, and began to speak mentally.  
  
~"Mirren, I understand your fear, and that you don't want to hurt me" she began, "but either you begin to fight back, or you'll lose the battle without even putting up a fight. Listen, attack me, you must. This fear is something you should rid of now, but for other times keep it. I mean it is a virtuous thing, and shows you have integrity, but right now you must forget it. Remember, if you do hurt me, I can heal myself right away, as long as I'm not unconscious. So please, to make me proud of you; put up a fight."~  
  
Mirren suddenly felt empowered and instantly got up. He had blushed a little on the ground from Zelda's words, but luckily it was gone once he was on his feet. He still breathed heavily as he stared at her. He no longer was nervous, but instead.determined.  
  
Zelda then threw her hands out and shot a magical fireball at him. Mirren didn't flinch or seem reluctant at all anymore. Zelda's words really helped him, and made him feel good. As the fireball came closer and closer, he tightened his grip on his broadsword even more. Finally when it was only a few feet from him, he slashed it with his sword and sent it flying back at Zelda, just as he did with Faria.  
  
It flew back, and hit Zelda with an explosion of magical fire. She yelled a little from the pain, and that hurt Mirren a little. But he knew if he fought even more, she'd like him even more. He screamed and charged at her. He lunged at her and did a slash on her right shoulder, and then one more to her left. She yelled from the pain louder than before and crashed into the ground. Everyone gasped from the shock that Mirren had finally attacked Zelda, and with such force! She lay on the ground groaning in pain for a few seconds as Mirren froze in fear.  
  
"What have I done?" he said to himself in his head, "I hurt her!" He instantly ran over to her and knelt down beside her. "Oh my God Zelda I'm so sorry!" he spoke, "I didn't mean to hit you so hard, forgive me!" Zelda then opened her eyes and her wounds disappeared. Mirren's eyes widened as Zelda healed herself and smiled at him.  
  
"Don't worry, I forgive you." she said with a smile. Mirren sighed with relief. ".But it was a mistake to stop attacking just now" she added with a grin. Her eyes then lit up blue once again and hit Mirren with another mental energy blast. He yelled in pain and was sent flying up into the air. He went up about twelve feet, and crashed into the ground with another yell of pain.  
  
Zelda got up and dusted herself off. She looked at the cuts on her pink dress from Mirren's slashes and smiled. He had finally overcome his fear, well at least for now. As Mirren still rived in pain, Zelda put her hands out and a golden light began to glow. She was ready to finish the battle.  
  
Mirren finally got up and picked up his sword. He looked at Zelda with a painful expression on his face for a split second before she shot the golden beam of energy at him. It came soaring towards him and struck him head on. The force was so powerful it knocked his sword out of his hand and made him scream from the pain louder than any time before. The golden energy surrounded his body and hurt him incredibly. He then stopped screaming after about a minute, and finally began to speak.  
  
"Alright Zelda, you win, I give up" he said quietly from the massive pain. Zelda then stopped the attack as Mirren dropped to the ground. He breathed heavily and still groaned from the massive pain. He had never felt an attack like that ever, and it truly took its toll on his little body. No one was cheering right now. Not that they didn't like Mirren at all, but they couldn't believe what he had gone through, and the great pain he was dealing with. Zelda watched as Mirren just grew weaker and weaker from the effects of the attack, and slowly walked over to him.  
  
She was soon above him and looked down as he still rived in pain. She smiled at him and knelt down next to him. She then took him in her arms and rested his back on her knee. She held his head up since he couldn't hold any of his body up at that moment. He was still very tired, and was still hurting, but he soon opened his eyes to see Zelda smiling down at him. He also the realized he was being held in her arms, and that made him feel good, but his expression was still a painful and tired looking one. He looked at through his weakened eyes, and unfortunately he really couldn't say anything. But he knew Zelda would work everything out.  
  
"You did very well Mirren" she began speaking softly and gently, "I'm proud of you." Mirren then slightly changed his expression. He still showed his pain, but looked at her with a surprised, yet happy look. She smiled even more. "You put up a good fight, and didn't use excessive force on me to seriously wound me" she began to say the same way as before, "I told you nothing bad would happen." Mirren then looked a little ashamed from his incredible worries of before, but Zelda rid him of his shame. "Never be ashamed about that though, we all have fears we always worry about even when we face them once" she spoke, "and that's exactly how it is for you right now. You still have it, but you faced it, and conquered it at least for one time." He then managed to smile a little, but groaned immediately after it. Zelda then remembered how hurt he really was.  
  
"I really shouldn't have used so much power, I wanted to help you destroy the fear, and I figured power would help" she said a little ashamed too, "I should've remembered you're smaller and your little body can't take a super amount of pain without all most breaking in half." She then looked straight into his eyes and held him a little closer. "I'm sorry I had to do that to you Mirren" she said, "Can you forgive me?" Mirren instantly nodded, and Zelda smiled with relief. Mirren then smiled again, but grunted in pain right afterwards. Zelda then remembered what she said before when she had watched him train. "I can see you're hurting a lot, don't worry though, I'll heal you" she spoke, "this'll probably make you sleep a few minutes afterwards, but it'll heal you completely." Zelda then held him even closer and soon Mirren was surrounded by a force of blue energy. It began to heal every bruise and cut on his body, and soon they were all gone. But he was still very tired from the battle, and stayed the same way he was for a few moments. He then closed his eyes, and Zelda smiled even more at him. She then stood up with Mirren still in her arms. She looked down at him, and then looked over at Link.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll take him to his room, you can stay here" she said. Link nodded with a smile, and Zelda smiled back. She then turned, and began walking away with Mirren still in her arms. She walked down the many hallways and up the many staircases to his room as Mirren slowly opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion, and realized Zelda was carrying him. She looked down at him, and smiled again.  
  
"I'm taking you to your room, you'll need to rest for a while" she said gently and softly as before. Mirren nodded, and even though he didn't express it, felt as great as ever. As she held him close and carried him to his room, he kind of felt that warm, fuzzy feeling inside of him. He knew now that he did have a crush on her.  
  
Soon they came to his room, and Zelda gently laid him on his bed, and covered him up with his blankets. He instantly closed his eyes, and began sleeping. She smiled at him, and stroked his hair. She did this for a few moments before getting up and leaving the room. "Sleep well Mirren" she whispered, and closed the door.  
  
Emralda had been watching everything through her magical fire. She watched the battle with Link and Mirren, the party, when Mirren was training, the battle with Zelda and Faria, and up to now where Zelda was helping Mirren. She smiled wickedly.  
  
"Isn't that cute" she said diabolically, "he'll never have this happen to him again when we capture Zelda and then kill him and her!" She then let out an evil laugh. "Kid, if you thought that battle was suffering, then you'll literally just rot from what me and Ganondorf will do to you." She let out another laugh as Ganondorf walked into the room. She turned to her brother from the magical fire and smiled evilly. "Brother, you missed it, the brat was being."  
  
"I don't have the time, forgive me my sister" Ganondorf interrupted putting out a hand, "I need to go to the Dark World immediately. I need to find two of my old servants and bring them back."  
  
"Why do you need them?" Emralda asked.  
  
"Because they will be the ones who will capture Mirren's loved ones" he answered, "Listen, I don't know how long I'll be, but just be patient. It shouldn't take more than a day or so, but you never know what could happen there. And as long as I'm there, I'll try and get some new recruits. Now, can you open the portal?" Emralda nodded, and threw one hand out. Slowly, a black and purple spiraling portal began to appear, and after a few more seconds, it was complete. Ganondorf then walked over to it, and looked at Emralda.  
  
"Goodbye Emralda" he said. Emralda nodded and smiled at her brother. Ganondorf then jumped into the portal, and before long; he was in the Dark World. 


	15. Link's Little Brother Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Mirren finally awoke at about dusk. He opened his tired eyes, and yawned. He stretched a little, and looked out into the sinking sun. He then remembered why he was resting. He remembered every single detail from the battle, even the battle with Faria. But he remembered Zelda's battle better. He couldn't believe how powerful she was, and that he actually fought back against her! He remembered slashing at her twice, and knocking her down. He also remembered when she finished him off with the golden energy beam. But he remembered what Zelda had done for him most. He remembered her wonderful words and her holding him. He thought of everything she had done for him, and everything she was doing to care for him. He then realized something.  
  
"Perhaps, I do.love her" he whispered to himself. Really every time he was around her he grew fonder of her, and he felt great every time she'd help him. He really did believe he was starting to love her. But then he realized something, she was ten years older than him! He could never date her, or marry her, he could do nothing! And he'd feel like an idiot if he told her, but there was still that feeling inside of him telling him that he should tell her, and get the feeling off of him, and tell her the truth. He shook his head and gritted his teeth from frustration.  
  
"I hate love!" he exclaimed, "especially when it's older girls!" He lay back in bed and just day-dreamed for a few minutes before someone slowly opened the door. "Oh no, please not her" he thought to himself considering that the person could've heard what he was saying, and if it was Zelda, he would've blabbed everything! As it finally opened completely, it was only Link with a tray of food.  
  
"Oh, you're up!" he said happily in surprise, "I'd thought you'd be hungry, so I brought you up from food." Mirren nodded.  
  
"Thanks, I am getting hungry" he replied. Link then walked over to his bed and set it down next to him on the table. There was a glass of Lon Lon Milk, some oatcakes with blackberry jam, and two honey baked apples. Mirren's lips smacked as he looked at the delicious food. He instantly took an oatcake and took a bite into it. Link smiled and sat down next to him on a chair.  
  
"Feeling better?" he asked. Mirren took a gulp of his Lon Lon Milk.  
  
"Yep" he answered. Link smiled again.  
  
"You took quite a beating there, Zelda's pretty tough isn't she?" he asked. Mirren nodded. "Yeah, and to think I though we'd win, ha!" Link said. Mirren laughed even he ate some of a honey baked apple.  
  
"Man, this food is good!" exclaimed Mirren after swallowing some of the apple, "who made it?"  
  
"Zelda" answered Link. Mirren just kind of froze for a second from her name, and looked at Link.  
  
"Really?" he asked. Link nodded.  
  
"Yep, none other" he answered. Mirren shrugged a little and began to eat again. "Ya know, I was kinda jealous of you when Zelda held you and practically hugged you" he said. Mirren immediately stopped eating and looked at Link strangely.  
  
"Why is that?" he asked. Link now kind of blushed, and looked away from Mirren.  
  
"Cause I'm kinda, secretly in love with Zelda" he answered. Mirren instantly froze again, but this time, he froze from shock.  
  
"Oh. good. God" Mirren said to himself in his head. He then looked at Link.  
  
"Are you serious?" he asked. Link nodded and looked embarrassed.  
  
"Yeah" he said. Mirren couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe his older brother was also in love with Zelda.  
  
"What the heck do I do now?" he asked himself in his head, "I mean, I like her, but she can actually date Link or even marry him if he told her and she liked him. But what the heck could she do with me!? Yeah, maybe a hug and one kiss on the cheek 'cause she likes me, but there is no way ever that she'd be happier with that then dating Link and being his girlfriend. Oh man, what do I do?" He kept on thinking through all of his frustrations and did his best to come up with a plan, and soon he had one. "Right now I better think not of me, but for her" he said in his head again, "If I really did like her, I'd want her to be happier, and that's by being with Link. Man, I don't how I'm gonna do this, but right now I gotta be cupid for Link. Well, here goes nothing."  
  
Mirren then looked Link straight in the eye. "Bro, it's gonna be hard for you to do this, but you gotta tell her how you really feel" he began. Link looked at him surprised. "Yeah, it's gonna be hard like I said, but she may like you, and if you tell her, then you two can be together forever! Believe me Link, I wouldn't be surprised if she liked you too." Mirren now grinned as Link, and Link smiled back. He couldn't believe how much Mirren's words had helped him, and was very happy.  
  
"Thanks Mirren, you really helped" he replied, "I'm still amazed at how you can be of so much help even when you're so young, but I'm glad. I'll tell her Mirren, because of you. But one problem, where and when?" Mirren smiled.  
  
"Leave that to me, you be in the throne room at 9:00, and I'll tell her" he answered. Link smiled and laughed.  
  
"Thanks, I wouldn't be doing this without you Mirren" he said and rubbed his little brother's head. Mirren smiled back, and soon Link left to get ready. Mirren then decided he had felt good enough to go to Lon Lon Ranch. He wanted to get some more milk, and he could just tell Zelda along the way. He finished up his meal, and left the room. He began to look around the castle for Zelda. He looked in the room, the archives, the storage rooms, the great hall, the armory, but found no trace of her. He then looked out a window and saw her in a garden in front of the castle. He went outside, and met her there.  
  
As he got closer, Zelda finally noticed him and turned around with a smile. "Mirren, you're up!" she exclaimed. Mirren smiled back.  
  
"Yep, and I'm feeling as good as ever, thanks for everything" he said. Zelda nodded happily.  
  
"So, what brings you out here?" she asked.  
  
"Well I'm going to Lon Lon Ranch for a little bit, and I have something to tell you" he said with a grin. Zelda looked a little surprised.  
  
"What?" she asked. Mirren then pointed to one of the throne room windows of the castle.  
  
"Link wants to meet you there, he has something very important to tell you, and he said come at 9:00" Mirren answered. Zelda looked up at the windows for a few seconds before shrugging.  
  
"Sure, whatever" she said. Mirren smiled.  
  
"Cool, he'll be waiting for you" he said. He then pulled out his ocarina and played Goldenfire's melody. Soon the huge golden dragon flew down and landed right next to him. He got on and began to fly away.  
  
"See ya Zelda!" he said waving. Zelda smiled and waved back. She then turned away and thought of Link.  
  
"Finally, perhaps I can tell him how I feel" she whispered.  
  
Mirren's flight wasn't a long one. Goldefire flew as fast as ever through the darkening sky, as soon he dropped Mirren off and flew back off into the skies. Mirren ran into the ranch and first stopped into the house where Talon was. He found him with his three super cuccos, sleeping as usual.  
  
"Yo Talon wake up!" shouted Mirren. Talon instantly woke up and jumped from the surprise. He looked around and grumbled.  
  
"Can't guy get a little shut eye around... oh Mirren it's you!" he said. Mirren sighed and somehow smiled.  
  
"Yep, none other than me" he replied. Talon laughed.  
  
"Well good ta see ya lad!" he spoke, "whata ya need?" Mirren took out one of his bottles.  
  
"A refill on the milk" he answered. Talon nodded and filled the bottle up.  
  
"Thirty rupees please" he said. Mirren dug into his wallet and pulled out the correct amount of rupees. He gave them to Talon and put his milk away.  
  
"Well I gotta go, I wanna see Malon and Artra before I leave" he said pointing his thumb to door behind him. Talon smiled and nodded.  
  
"Well run along then; don't wanna keep ya waiting" he said, "getting ta be good friends with Malon I see, just like Link. Hey, would ya like ta marry her?" Mirren looked at him strangely and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Didn't you ask my brother that like eleven years ago?" he asked. Talon then burst out into laughter so much he almost cried.  
  
"Ahhhh I was just jokin' Mirren, Malon may be old enough, but you're not!' he said before he laughed again, "You can go now for real, I won't stop ya this time!" He began laughing again as Mirren left the house shaking his head in pity for Talon's stupid joke. He then walked out to the track and saw that Malon had put away all the horses, except Artra. He walked over, and saw her grooming her mane. She then realized Mirren was there, and her face lit up with happiness.  
  
"Mirren!" she exclaimed. Mirren smiled.  
  
"Good to see ya Malon, how's Artra?" he asked. Malon turned to Artra who was right now resting on the grass waiting for Malon to get back to grooming her. She then noticed Mirren and neighed. She got up and trotted over to him. She began to snuggle against him as he stroked her neck.  
  
"Well I can see she's most happy to see you" Malon answered with a laugh. Mirren laughed a little too.  
  
"I can see that!' he replied, and kept stroking her. He then reached into his pocket and soon pulled out a sack of oats. He handed it to Malon, who looked at it strangely. "They're special oats from the castle, I figured Artra would like them!" he said with a smile. Malon then smiled back and put the oats away.  
  
"She'll love those!" she replied, "that was very nice of you!" Link grinned.  
  
"What da ya expect, a jerk?" he asked. Malon laughed as her red hair sparkled from the stars and moonlight. She stopped after a few moments and smiled at Mirren.  
  
"Hey, I'm sure Artra would love it if you rode around a little before she goes back into the stables" she said. Mirren looked at Artra and smiled before looking back at Malon.  
  
"Sounds good to me" he replied. He then hopped on Artra and began riding around a little. He trotted at first and began galloping after a few minutes. A little while later then, he began to jump the small fences, and did them with ease.  
  
"You're doing great Mirren, keep going, you can ride still for a while!" Malon shouted. Mirren nodded as he smiled and kept on riding his pony. He was having such a great time, it was just so much fun for him. But there were two evil eyes watching him, and soon his fun would be ruined.  
  
Ganondorf had returned from the Dark World early, and had brought back two of his old servants; Phantom Ganon and Dark Link. The two evil spirits stood back as Emralda and Ganondorf smiled wickedly and watched Mirren.  
  
"I say, we begin the plan now" Emralda spoke, "let's start with the farm girl and the pony. Then you can send one of those two to capture his brother and Zelda's sister. Four friends in one night, sounds good to me." Ganondorf still watched but soon turned with an evil grin.  
  
"I like it a lot my sister, then let it begin, take the farm girl and the pony, I'll find the way to get Link and Faria" he replied. They both nodded, and Ganondorf walked over to Phantom Ganon and Dark Link. The two instantly looked straight into their leader's eyes ready to attack. Ganondorf looked at them both, and thought of who would be the best for this attack. He finally decided.  
  
"Dark Link, this'll be your mission, go to Hyrule Castle and find Link and Zelda's sister" he began, "try and bring them into the same room. Fight them off and weaken them enough so they can be thrown into our portal. They'll come here, and we can chain them up. Now, get going" Dark Link nodded and suddenly teleported away. Ganondorf then turned to Phantom Ganon. "Your mission will be in a few hours, you'll be going after Zelda, so be prepared" Ganondorf spoke. The Phantom Incarnation of the Scourge of Hyrule nodded. Ganondorf then walked back to Emralda, who was smiling diabolically. She finally turned to her brother.  
  
"I have sent a bunch of Keese my brother" she said, "they will all take the two and bring them up to the portal, they shall soon arrive here. Then I'll let you speak to him." Ganondorf smiled back.  
  
"Perfect, and I'll let you say something too, it's not the same without my sister" he said back. They both then smiled and looked into the magical fire.  
  
Mirren kept on riding and riding. He had never had so much fun on a horse in his entire life! He felt like he'd never want it to end! But he knew he needed to get back to the castle soon. He knew everyone would be worried about him if he stayed out too long, and he wanted to make sure everything with Zelda and Link went alright. He got off and walked over to Malon with Artra.  
  
"Here, I gotta get going now, thanks for letting me ride!" he said with a smile. Malon smiled back and took Artra.  
  
"No problem, you did great" she replied, "If you need to leave, go, you can come back any time." Mirren smiled and began walking away, until he heard the most terrifying voice he had ever heard.  
  
"Where do you think you're going kid?" it asked. Mirren and Malon instantly looked around in confusion and looked a little afraid. "Don't you know who it is kid?" it asked again, "it is I, Ganondorf, and my sister Emralda. You know, the ones you killed all those years ago!?" Mirren froze in fear. The names, the voice, it all sounded familiar. He couldn't believe what was going on, and was speechless from the fear. He knew Ganondorf and Emralda, but he was still blurry on the killing.  
  
"Kid, after what you've done to us, after almost seven years, we've come to get our revenge" a feminine voice said (this was Emralda, and Mirren knew it), "we are going to first steal your most loved ones from you, and make both you and them suffer for your foolishness al those years ago!" Malon was shocked and afraid.  
  
"Mirren, what's going on?" she asked quietly from fear. Mirren couldn't answer, he was just too afraid, and in deep shock also. He looked out, and suddenly saw a bunch of Keese flying towards Malon and Artra.  
  
"Malon! Ruuuuuuuuuuuun!!!!" shouted Mirren. Suddenly the numerous Keese swooped down and all together, lifted Malon and Artra into the sky. They both shrieked in fear as suddenly a purple and black portal began to open up. Mirren pulled out his bow and tried to shoot all the Keese in time, but the remaining ones soon entered the portal, and brought the screaming Malon and Artra with them. The portal then disappeared, and the faces of Ganondorf and Emralda formed in the sky. Mirren's jaw dropped as he saw their faces. Even though he had no idea of the battle long ago, he still feared their faces and knew who they were. He dropped his bow, and gasped in fear. Emralda and Ganondorf smiled wickedly.  
  
"So, Mirren, the brother of the Hero of Time finally paying for all of what he's done, perfect" said Emralda.  
  
"Yes, we have captured our first victims, two of your best friends" Ganondorf said as he took over, "you will pay even more when we capture two more of your most loved ones. Your brother and Faria." They both laughed diabolically as Mirren froze in fear even worse. The two faces then disappeared as they still laughed. Mirren the realized Link and Faria were in great danger. He left the ranch, and called upon Goldenfire. He got on, and began flying back to Hyrule Castle.  
  
Back there, Zelda was in the throne room. It was just about 9:00, and she was waiting for Link. She waited for a few minutes until she finally heard a few foot steps. She heard the door open, and saw Link. She smiled.  
  
"Hi Link" she whispered. Link looked nervous, and Zelda felt the same way. He walked over to her, and they both kind of looked away from nervousness. But Zelda finally spoke. "I guess we're both here, now, what was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked. Link gulped and began to sweat from his nervousness. But he spoke right back.  
  
"Zelda, I need to tell you something" he answered, "something you don't even know, and something that will be incredibly hard for me to tell you. Let me tell you though, I wouldn't be doing this without Mirren, he was a lifesaver." Zelda looked at him a little concerned, and had a slight feeling of what he was going to tell her. Link finally began to speak, and he looked straight into her eyes. "Zelda, after all these years with you, I've fallen.........." Link got out no more, and suddenly a window shattered, and Dark Link landed into the throne room. Link froze in shock, and Zelda did the same.  
  
"What... what in the world are you doing here?" asked Link pointing to Dark Link. His evil incarnation grinned wickedly.  
  
"Under Ganondorf's commands, I've been ordered to capture both you Link and Faria" he answered, "All for the plan for Mirren." Zelda's and Link's jaw dropped, and couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Yes, the plan for them to get revenge for what Mirren did to them six years ago" he began to say again, "so Ganondorf told me to capture Faria, and you Link" Zelda gasped in fear as Link drew the Master Sword and the Mirror Shield.  
  
"Over my dead body" he said as he gritted his teeth. Dark Link smirked, and drew his weapons. The two then leapt at each other and began to battle. They began slashing at each other and blocking the other's every shot. As the two began their fight, Zelda backed away. She just couldn't believe what was going on. She felt so frightened. For herself, for Faria, for Link, and especially Mirren now.  
  
Link then did a vertical slash and caught Dark Link on the forehead. He grunted in pain and stepped back. Link then went for a stab, but Dark Link leapt up and landed on the blade. He reared back, and did a stab of his own and hit Link. He yelled in pain and crashed in the floor. Dark Link jumped in the air and brought hit sword down. Link just in time raised his shield and blocked the attack. He then reared his foot back and kicked Dark Link square in the chest. He knocked him off and got up.  
  
"I won't let you defeat me" he said incredibly angry. Dark Link slowly got up and shook his head. Link took advantage of his weakened foe and did a cut across his face. Dark Link grunted in pain and smacked against the ground. Link then recuperated a little and waited for Dark Link to get up. He charged up the Master Sword for a spin attack, and it began glowing blue. As Dark Link began to get up, Link's blade glowed orange. Dark Link was finally up on his feet and turned around. Link then spun around and did the spin attack. He hit Dark Link with incredible force and made him scream in pain. He knocked him back and Dark Link crashed on the floor. He groaned in pain for a few moments before finally going into a state of unconsciousness.  
  
Link watched his hurt foe, and finally turned around to Zelda. "Don't worry Zelda" he said, "I defeated him, he's dead." But Link spoke too soon. Suddenly Dark Link lifted his shadow head up and grinned evilly. Zelda noticed it, and gasped in shock.  
  
"Link, look out!" she yelled. Link tried to turn around in time, but Dark Link shot a dark beam from his sword, and it struck Link in the back. Link screamed in agony and hit the floor hard. Zelda gasped in horror as Dark Link lifted himself up.  
  
"Nice attack before, but not enough to stop me" he spoke. He then picked up his blade and walked over to Link who was slowly getting up. After a few moments of groaning in pain, he lifted his head up, and saw Dark Link. His evil form smiled wickedly and did a slice across his face. Link screamed in pain, and Zelda also did in horror. Link hit the floor again, and groaned in agony as blood flowed from his cut. Dark Link laughed diabolically.  
  
"I told you that you couldn't defeat me, now I will get the portal ready, and send you back to Emralda's citadel" he spoke. He then threw his hands out, and behind Link's wounded body, appeared the dark portal. Dark Link laughed again. "My mission, is a success!" he shouted and laughed even more. Zelda froze in fear, her loved one was going to be sent through a portal to Emralda's dark castle! She almost was on the verge of tears when suddenly Faria appeared in the room, and shot Dark Link in the back with a magical fireball. He screamed in pain, and collapsed.  
  
Zelda gasped in shock. She couldn't believe Faria was actually here! And even though it might have saved Link's life, she was in great danger. "Faria, get out now, he's here to kidnap you!" Zelda shouted. Faria looked at her a little confused before Dark Link got up and hit with another dark beam. Faria yelled in pain, and was knocked down. "Faria!" Zelda shrieked. She then turned to Dark Link, and shot a blast of energy at him. He saw it coming and dodged it with ease. He then shot a blast of his own magic at her, and knocked her against the wall.  
  
"Well, now that I have both Faria and Link here, I shall send them to Ganondorf!" He then raised his hands up, giving Emralda the signal back at the citadel to have the portal take them away. Two long streaks of dark energy came out and grabbed them. They then pulled the weakened bodies in, and the portal closed. Dark Link laughed with success as Zelda just gasped and cowered in fear. Dark Link sensed it, and grinned evilly at her. He walked over to her as she tried to escape.  
  
But he quickly trapped her against the wall, and pointed his blade to her throat. She froze in fear as tears formed in her eyes. Dark Link smirked diabolically. "Well isn't this interesting" he began, "Ganondorf had told me to only capture Link and Faria, but I know he'll be even happier if I kill you." He then pulled the blade back, and was ready to slice Zelda's throat open to kill her. He was just about to before the door flung open, and he froze. Zelda watched him strangely until he backed off a little. He reached to his back a little and she realized an arrow was in there. She looked at the door, and saw Mirren standing there holding his bow. Soon Taursus, Jarlis, and Mardera followed. As Dark Link rived in pain, Mirren could only glare at him.  
  
"Guys, go help Zelda" he said not taking his eyes off Dark Link. His three friends nodded and ran over to help the emotionally hurt Zelda. Dark Link still groaned in pain before looking up at Mirren. He was still glaring at him. "How dare you ever come into Hyrule Castle uninvited and try to kill Zelda" he spoke. Mirren then reached into his knapsack and pulled out the Fire Diamond. He put it right in front of Dark Link's face, and it began glowing red. "Burn in the demon world you fool, burn for eternity" he said, and he suddenly shot the blast of fire from it. It enveloped Dark Link's body, and made everyone turn away from its massive power.  
  
It made Dark Link scream in complete agony. It scorched his body, and began burning it. Soon the blast of fire disappeared, and all that was left of Dark Link was a pile of his own ashes. Mirren then put the Fire Diamond away and turned to Zelda who was being comforted by Taursus and the others. He began walking over, and instantly she threw her arms around him, and wept terribly. She knelt down completely, and Mirren also knelt down as she still cried.  
  
"Oh Mirren" she said tears just pouring from her eyes, "Dark Link came and took Link and Faria through some dark portal. It's taking them to Emralda's citadel, her and Ganondorf want revenge on you for the battle six years ago!" Mirren now remembered the battle completely, but focused more on Zelda. "They're going to take the ones you love from you, and he Dark Link took them. They're gone Mirren, gone!" She then couldn't speak anymore, she just began crying worse than ever before. She tightened her grip on Mirren, and he held her close. Even though he was hugging the girl he had a crush on, he totally rid his mind of that and wept with her.  
  
A couple hours later, Taursus, Jarlis, Mardera, Mirren and Zelda were in the great hall. All the doors were locked, and they all had every weapon with them. They all wanted to make sure they'd be ready if another attack came by. The first assault was already devastating. Link and Faria were gone, captured by Dark Link and taken to Emralda's citadel.  
  
Zelda still cried a little even though it had been about two hours since the tragedy. She just was crushed with the fact her own little sister, her only living family member, and Link, her love, was taken from her. It was the worse thing that had ever happened, it was worse than anything she had dealt with Ganondorf for. Mirren and the others had tried to comfort her, but nothing could help. Two of her most loved people were gone, to a place she had no idea was. She just sat at one of the tables alone, and wept.  
  
Mirren stood by himself in front of a window. It may not have seen anything like it, but he was also crushed by what happened. His best friend and his own flesh and blood were gone, after all the times he had spent with Link, he was gone. He was totally silent, just tears rolling down his face, as he crossed his arms and thought of that battle six years ago. He was now remembering it perfectly, even though it frightened him even more. He knew he had to do something, but right now he wasn't in the best position to. He just kept meditating on the battle, as tears still came from his eyes.  
  
Taursus, Mardera, and Jarlis were standing by a pillar watching Zelda and Mirren. They absolutely felt terrible for them. And it was even worse since there was nothing they could for them. They had done anything they could to comfort the two (especially Zelda) but nothing ever worked.  
  
"Man, I can't believe it, Dark Link coming and capturing Link and Faria" whispered Jarlis, "it just doesn't sound possible, all for revenge on Mirren all those years ago with some battle."  
  
"I wish I knew what actually happened at the battle, I'd ask Impa, if she wasn't away with Sage business" Taursus added. Mardera turned from the suffering Zelda and Mirren and looked at Taursus and Jarlis.  
  
"I know, what happened" she whispered somewhat reluctant. The two then turned to her with surprised looks on their faces.  
  
"Are you serious?" asked Taursus.  
  
"How in the world would you know?" asked Jarlis. Mardera turned to Mirren and looked at him. She seemed reluctant to tell them, before Mirren though had looked at her through the corner of his eye and nodded. Mardera nodded back and sighed ready to tell the tale.  
  
"Ok, Link had told me this a while ago before he and Mirren left for Terlon Forest" she began, "anyways though, It happened one day when Ganondorf and Emralda came to Terlon six years ago looking for a piece of the Triforce. They came to Mirren's village, and began attacking it. Mirren was only about five, but he still came out with his own weapon and tried to stop them. The two had shot him with their dark energy bolts, and thought they had killed him. They kept on attacking, before Mirren had got up and used some awesome power. He shot this beam of energy from his sword, and it destroyed them both. They had both been regenerated a couple years later, and I guess Ganondorf went to try and get the Triforce on his own for a while, and Emralda waited for his return. So because Mirren had killed them all those years ago, and supposedly stopped them from getting a piece of the Triforce, they want revenge on him, and they're doing that by capturing his friends. Which means we may be next." Suddenly Mirren turned around. He had dried up his tears, and looked enraged. They looked at him a little surprised, and waited for him to speak.  
  
"They've already taken Malon, my pony Artra, Link, and Faria" he began, "I'm not letting get any one of you four, so they're gonna have ta do a heck of a lot to get through me this time."  
  
"Hey Mirren, don't think you're only line of defense" said Jarlis as he narrowed his eyes a little, "We can fight too." Mirren glared at him.  
  
"I never said you couldn't fight, I'm saying this because you guys aren't strong enough to fight them off by yourselves" he spat back, "Those two are like no other force Hyrule could ever be attack by, it's gonna be hard as heck to defeat them. But somehow, some way, I will defeat them; once and for all." Mirren then turned to the still weeping Zelda. He was now even more enraged. His eyes lit up with anger, and he gritted his teeth. He pulled out his sword, and in anger, sliced an oaken table into two. He screamed in rage.  
  
"Even if it's the last thing I do... I will kill them, even if it means dieing myself!!!!!" he shouted. Suddenly everyone heard a voice from behind Mirren.  
  
"Well, it seems the boy is a little angry" it said. Mirren looked confused, and turned around. His mouth dropped, and his eyes widened in shock. It was Phantom Ganon. Everyone else gasped in fear. Even Zelda, and even though she still had tears, she stopped the actual crying. Mirren couldn't believe what he was seeing.  
  
"What... what are you doing here?" he asked pointing to him. Even though no one could see it, Phantom Ganon grinned evilly.  
  
"I'm here because of Ganondorf, I'm here to capture your three friends, and Zelda" he answered. Everyone gasped in shock and fear, even Mirren was speechless. He had to do something, or he'd lose his last remaining friends. His eyes filled with anger, and he gritted his teeth.  
  
"You're not getting anyone with a fight from me you freakin' phantom!!!" Mirren shouted. Phantom Ganon smirked under his mask, and got his trident ready. Mirren got his blade ready, and turned to Taursus and the others.  
  
"Guys, protect Zelda, if something happens to me, you'll need to defend her!" he yelled. Phantom Ganon flew at the distracted Mirren and aimed a stab of his trident. Mirren just saw it and parried the attack. He lifted his sword up and slashed Phantom Ganon across the face, and knocked him flat. As Mardera, Jarlis, and Taursus walked over to Zelda, she put her hand out, and narrowed her eyes in determination. Mirren turned around and saw her, and his mouth dropped as his eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Mirren, I have done nothing to help throughout this whole ordeal" she began, "Its time I helped you, they're after me too, and I'm going to defend myself, and you!" The others also had their jaws drop in surprise; they were shocked at what Zelda was saying! Mirren still looked into Zelda's narrow eyes, and turned his head away with a grin.  
  
"Fine, you wanna fight, go ahead" he said, "but if sometimes to me, get the heck outta here and escape!" Zelda now kind of smiled and nodded.  
  
"Fine by me" she replied. Phantom Ganon was now finally up on his feet angry as ever. He glared at the two through his skull mask, and lifted his trident in the air.  
  
"Try and stop this fools!" he yelled, and shot a bolt of dark energy from it. The bolt came rushing towards them, and they jumped away just in time to dodge it. Zelda threw her hands out and shot a magical fireball at him. Phantom Ganon lifted up his trident and blocked the shot, and yelled with power as he shot another bolt of energy at her. She teleported away, and the bolt exploded on the ground. She appeared behind him and shot another fireball. He turned around, and dodged the shot. With him distracted, Mirren rushed up behind him with his blade ready for an attack. Phantom Ganon spun around and smacked him with his trident. Mirren yelled in pain and was sent flying into the wall.  
  
"Mirren!" Zelda yelled. She then looked at Phantom Ganon and her eyes narrowed. Her eyes also lit up blue and she performed a mental attack. Phantom Ganon knew what she was doing and threw his trident out towards her. It created a force field around him and protected him from the attack. Zelda gasped in shock that he had blocked the attack. The phantom wasted no time and shot a ball of dark energy at her. She wasn't able to block it, and was hit head on. She screamed in pain and landed hard on the ground. Phantom Ganon laughed evilly.  
  
"Even together, you two still can't stop me" he taunted, and laughed again.  
  
Mardera, Jarlis, and Taursus gritted their teeth as they watched Zelda and Mirren get no where in their fight. They knew they had to help, or Zelda would be captured and taken to Emralda's citadel.  
  
"That's it!" shouted Jarlis, "I'm goin' ta help my friend even if it means risking my own life!" Mardera nodded and whipped out her twin scimitars.  
  
"I'm with ya all the way Jarlis, let's take him out!" she yelled. They were both about to then charge in, before Taursus threw his huge hands out and grabbed their shoulders. They both turned around and looked at Taursus annoyed as they struggled to escape.  
  
"What the heck do you think you're doing Taursus!" yelled Jarlis.  
  
"Yeah, don't you care about Mirren and Zelda!?" shouted Mardera.  
  
"Of course I do!" spat back Taursus, "but look!" Mardera and Jarlis then looked to where Taursus was looking and saw a dark portal beginning to open. They all froze in shock and watched as the purple and black portal grew bigger and bigger.  
  
"A portal, one to take us to Emralda's citadel" whispered Mardera in fear. Phantom Ganon then turned to them and smiled diabolically under his mask.  
  
"Yes, there it is" he said, "the portal to take you to the one's who have plotted this whole thing. And don't worry; you won't have to wait for me to take you three." They all looked at him strangely before suddenly three Stalfos jumped out of the portal in front of them. They had their black and red armor, their round shields, their red jagged blades, but yellowish bones this time. They all let loose a toothless grin, and leapt at them.  
  
"Well, let's fight 'em!" yelled Taursus as he drew his huge sword and slashed one across the face.  
  
Phantom Ganon watched as they began their fight, and smiled. He knew that Mirren's friends wouldn't win, but watched anyways since he figured he had knocked Mirren and Zelda unconscious. But he had though wrong. Slowly, and with a groan of pain, Mirren got up. He glared at the distracted Phantom Ganon, and pulled out the Fire Diamond. He pointed it to the phantom, and charged it up for a blast. He waited for a few seconds before he thought it'd be powerful enough to kill him. Once it was, he yelled out "Hey Phantom Ganon!" The phantom turned around, and saw Mirren with the Fire Diamond. Mirren then screamed and fired out the blast of fire. It came soaring towards Phantom Ganon, and enveloped him with fire. Even though he didn't hear a scream of pain, Mirren kept pushing out the fire. But suddenly, Phantom Ganon appeared behind him, and knocked him flat with a smack of his trident.  
  
Mirren collapsed on the ground and dropped the Fire Diamond. The fire stopped pouring out, and the glow slowly disappeared. As Mirren rived in pain, Phantom Ganon laughed evilly.  
  
"So, thought you could kill me with a little surprise, wrong choice kid!" he yelled. Mirren then got up and looked at Phantom Ganon with pain and anger in his eyes. Phantom Ganon grinned and thrust his trident into Mirren's stomach. Mirren gasped in pain, and his face went pale. Phantom Ganon then lifted his trident with Mirren still on it into the air.  
  
"Goodbye kid" he said, and fired a ball of energy from the top. It exploded on Mirren, and sent him flying up in the air. He flew up a few feet, and landed on the ground with a sickening thud. Zelda finally regained consciousness and looked around; she looked at Phantom Ganon, and saw Mirren lying unconscious next to his feet.  
  
"Mirren, no!" she yelled as tears formed in her eyes. She had just taken enough, her loved one was taken from her, her own little sister, and her favorite boy was now unconscious from the massive beating of Phantom Ganon. She stood up as her anger and sorrow mixed; not a good combination. Phantom Ganon noticed this, and grinned evilly.  
  
"So, Zelda's all sad that her little boy is hurt?" he began in a mocking way, "how cute! What do you think you're gonna do Zelda? Are you gonna try and hurt me?" Zelda's eyes narrowed and she looked straight at Phantom Ganon.  
  
"No.......I'm going to kill you" she whispered. She then threw her hands out to Phantom Ganon, and shot her golden energy beam. She screamed in rage and power as she put all of her energy into the beam. Phantom Ganon gasped from the oncoming beam of energy and froze in fear. He had no way to escape it. It soon hit directly and made him scream in pain. The golden energy struck his body and scorched it. He kept on screaming as Zelda pushed in more and more power. The energy totally surrounded his body, and literally just destroyed him. His body began to disintegrate as the energy took its toll on his body. Soon, every bit of his body was gone, and Zelda stopped the attack. Her hands fell, and she breathed heavily from exhaustion. She then looked at Mirren, who was coming around. She smiled, and walked over to him.  
  
Like before, she knelt down and helped him up on his knees. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Zelda with his smile.  
  
"I destroyed him Mirren, we did it" she said. Mirren smiled back and she embraced him with a hug.  
  
Back with Taursus and the others, the battle with the Stalfos was finishing. The Stalfos had gotten a couple hits in, but nothing which anyone of them couldn't take. Soon Taursus sliced his Stalfos in two, Mardera shattered hers with a spin cut, and Jarlis blew his away with an energy blast. The remaining bones of the Stalfos soon disappeared, and they all smiled at each other. They then turned to see Zelda and Mirren, the victors of their battle. They walked over to them, and smiled at the two.  
  
"Nice job, you guys made a great team!" said Mardera. Zelda smiled and nodded.  
  
"We did, we do make the perfect team. She then looked down at Mirren and smiled. Mirren smiled back, and got on his knees and stood without Zelda's help. He looked at Mardera and the others, and smiled too.  
  
"Thanks guys, and nice job to you too" he complimented, "We stopped 'em. Now all we gotta do is come up with some kind of plan to get to Emralda's citadel." Suddenly, the portal began glowing even more. Everyone looked at it in surprise, and soon, three dark tentacles came out from them and grabbed Taursus, Mardera, and Jarlis. "Guys! No!" shouted Mirren. The three kicked and struggled as hard as they could to escape, but to no avail. The tentacles flew back into the portal, and took the three with them. Mirren couldn't believe what had happened, and Zelda looked on in shock. Mirren just stood there with his mouth open in shock before he heard two familiar laughs. Soon, Ganondorf and Emralda appeared in the portal smiling wickedly. Zelda gasped in shock, and froze in fear. Mirren just still stood afraid, only worse now.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mirren and out last person of his to capture, Zelda" taunted Emralda. Ganondorf smiled evilly.  
  
"Isn't it just perfect how our plan worked" he spoke, "we captured all of your best friends and loved ones, and finally we'll get the last one."  
  
"Yes, and then you'll have lost everyone, and you will suffer because of what you did all those years ago kid, you'll pay" added Emralda with a diabolical grin.  
  
"Now, let's get the most precious of his friends" Ganondorf spoke. Zelda was now surprised by what they said. Why did he say she was Mirren's most precious friend? She thought about it, but soon looked at Mirren. His eyes were filled with rage, and his was gritting teeth.  
  
"I'll never let you two take her!" he yelled and charged at them ready to attack with his blade. He yelled with rage, and Emralda and Ganondorf could only grin wickedly at him. As he got closer, they lifted their hands up and shot an energy bolt each. Both hit Mirren head on, and he yelled in pain and he hit the floor. Zelda gasped in fear.  
  
"Mirren!" she yelled. Ganondorf then threw his hand out at Zelda.  
  
"Enough waiting!" he shouted, "let's get once and for all and make Mirren sorry!" Just then one of the dark tentacles came out and grabbed Zelda. She shrieked in fear and began kicking and screaming trying to escape. Mirren slowly got up and saw it.  
  
"Zelda! Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!" he yelled. She then let out one last scream until she had disappeared into the portal. Mirren then looked as sorrowful as ever, and tears formed in his eyes. His hands dropped to the ground, and he began weeping. Ganondorf and Emralda laughed diabolically.  
  
"See what we can do kid?" Ganondorf spoke, "we promised each other we'd get our revenge on you, and we fulfilled it. We captured your most loved ones, and now you will suffer as we keep them as our prisoners before we kill them!" Mirren then got up and screamed in anger. He lifted his blade up and charged at them once again. Emralda grinned and pointed her staff at him. She shot out an incredibly powerful beam of energy, and it hit Mirren dead on target. It went straight through him, and he dropped his blade and was suspended in mid air as he gasped in pain.  
  
"Mirren, if you ever want to see your friends or your beloved Zelda, come to my citadel north of Hyrule Castle in Herlassia. We'll be waiting for you" Emralda said. Her and Ganondorf then laughed evilly as the portal slowly disappeared. Mirren watched in agony as they laughed, and he soon closed his eyes and blacked out. 


	16. Link's Little Brother Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Link finally opened his eyes. He had searing pains everywhere on his body, but he forgot about those and looked around. He was in some castle, in fact the throne room of a castle. He realized he was chained up to a wall, and he was far above the floor. Stain glass windows surrounded one side of the large room, and the other was just, wall. He looked on his side and froze in shock. His mouth dropped right down as he saw Zelda, Faria, Taursus, Mardera, Jarlis, and Malon also chained to the wall, all unconscious He looked down and also saw Artra tied up by a chain leash almost. He then looked forward, and saw Ganondorf and Emralda smiling wickedly at him. His eyes widened with shock as he saw them.  
  
"So Link, Mirren's brother, is the first to awake" said Emralda, "how interesting."  
  
"Yes, and soon the others will awake, and we can explain the whole reason for what happened" Ganondorf added. Link's eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth. He then began struggling recklessly and trying everything he could to escape.  
  
"What have you two done to us!? Tell me now!!!" Link shouted. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"But Link, then that would ruin everything" he began, "It's easily better to tell everyone at once." Link was now enraged.  
  
"Tell me now you disgusting excuse for a living thing!!!!" screamed Link. Everyone else then chained up slowly opened their eyes and woke up. They all looked around in confusion of where they were.  
  
"Well brother, I see they have waken up, let's tell them" said Emralda turning to Ganondorf with a grin. He nodded and everyone instantly looked to them with shocked looks on their faces. "You all already know why you're here, but I don't really believe you all know the point to this...'' before being interrupted by Taursus.  
  
"You're darn right you she-devil!!" he yelled. Even though she had been insulted, Emralda smiled.  
  
"Ya know, you're not really in the position to be saying things like that" she replied, "I could kill you early before everyone else..." Everyone gasped in shock.  
  
"What? You're going to kill us too?" Zelda asked sounding a little fearful. Ganondorf turned and looked at her.  
  
"I guess you could say that" he answered, "let me explain our plan. As you all know, we've wanted our revenge on Mirren ever since he had killed us all those years ago, so we decided to do our worst. We knew that Mirren would be crushed if we took from him his best friends, so that's exactly what we did. With this, he'll be enraged at the same time. We told him where we all are, so he should be here in at least a few days. When he comes here and tries to destroy us, we'll defeat him in battle, and kill all of you right before his eyes. As he suffers to see his most loved ones die, we'll then kill him. Getting our revenge, and making his death the most sorrowful one ever!" Ganondorf then let out a diabolical laugh and began to walk away as everyone just looked at him with faces of fear and shock. Emralda ginned evilly.  
  
"Savor your final moments, because soon after Mirren arrives, you'll all be dead" She then out her own laugh of wickedness and followed Ganondorf. As everyone else just stared in shock, Link gritted his teeth.  
  
"Mirren will get here, and he'll do everything he can to save us, I just hope he'll be able to" he said. Zelda then looked at him with a smile. Link looked at her strangely and wondered why she could be smiling.  
  
"Mirren will get help, I can tell you that" she whispered. Link thought of who could help him and soon though of them. He smiled back at Zelda, Mirren still had a chance.  
  
Mirren slowly opened his eyes. He slowly got up and looked around. He had no idea where he was, but all he knew was that it wasn't a normal place. It had walls that were nothing more than waterfalls, the ceiling was just a patch of darkness, and the floor was like diamond almost. He got on his feet and looked at where he had been hit by Emralda's attack. His stomach was completely healed, and it seemed like nothing had ever happened to him. As he stared at his healed body, suddenly six colored clouds began appearing before him. There was a green one, a red one, a blue one, a purple one, an orange one, and a yellow one. They kept on forming into something until finally the Six Sages appeared before him. He jumped back in surprise and looked at them. He had met a few of them before, but not all at once, and this was certainly nothing he had predicted would happen to him.  
  
"Hey, where am I? What am I doing here?" he asked. Rauru stepped foreword and looked at Mirren.  
  
"You are in the Chamber of Sages" he answered, "and why have we brought you here? Isn't it obvious Mirren? You were practically ready to die from Emralda's attack. She had never meant to hurt you that badly, but she didn't know. Anyways after they left with Zelda, we took you and brought you here. Saria healed you, so you thank you for how you're felling right now." Mirren then looked at the Kokiri girl and smiled.  
  
"Thanks Saria, Link has told me a lot about you, I'm glad to have finally met you" he said. Saria smiled back and nodded.  
  
"I'm glad to see you too, but right now isn't the time for idle chit-chat" she replied, "Mirren, you have an important task ahead of you." Rauru now took over.  
  
"Yes, with everyone you love captured, you must go to Emralda's citadel and defeat Ganondorf and her once and for all" he began, "even though the rest of their plan is meant for you to come there, you must follow it, and do as they hope. Mirren, you must defeat them, if you are to save your friends. But you sure as heck won't with the weapons you have." Suddenly Rauru threw his arms out towards Mirren. His hands glowed yellow, and so did Mirren's body. Mirren looked at this in surprise and watched in shock as armor slowly appeared on his body. After a few more seconds, everything was on him, and Rauru stopped the spell. Mirren looked at his new armor, and just couldn't believe it.  
  
He now had chain mail gauntlets on his hands, steel knee pads and elbow pads, chain mail pants, a long red cape, golden shoulder pads, and indigo colored body armor that seemed to be steel also. Mirren just stared at his new armor and in shock and couldn't believe how incredible it was.  
  
"This is a special armor we Sages created especially for you Mirren" Rauru said, "It's incredibly strong and will absorb a good amount of force from every attack done on you. And don't worry, the armor won't slow you down at all. It may be the strongest armor ever, but it's as light as a feather." Mirren then examined it and realized it really wasn't heavy at all! This was the greatest armor ever to him!  
  
"Wow!" he exclaimed, "this is just awesome! This'll really help me defeat them, thanks!" Rauru smiled and let out a chuckle.  
  
"Well I'm glad you like it, but that's not the only gift you'll be getting to help defeat Emralda and Ganondorf" he said. Mirren looked at him a little surprised, but smiled.  
  
"Really? Wow, what else could you guys give to help me?" he asked. All the other Sages grinned. Mirren noticed this and was surprised once again by the odd behavior of them.  
  
"The other thing you'll be getting is not from us, but three even better ones" Rauru said as he grinned like the other Sages. All the Sages then stepped away as suddenly a red, blue, and green light came into view. After a few moments, the three Goddesses appeared. Mirren's eyes bugged out in shock as he jumped back from complete surprise. He couldn't believe now that the Goddesses of Hyrule were standing right before him! He just stared in shock as his mouth dropped. He tried to speak, but only got gasps of shock out. The Goddesses smiled at him and moved closer.  
  
"You need not to speak Mirren, we understand how surprised you are" spoke Nayru. Mirren looked at them and slowly got out of his trance. They were the most amazing women he had ever seen! (besides Zelda) Din was wearing a red sleeveless shirt and had red hair with a golden tiara. On her wrists were two loose, but shining golden bracelets. (Oracle of Seasons form, only more older looking) Nayru was also wearing a sleeveless shirt, but instead her's was blue. She also had a white blouse, and long blue hair. (Also Oracle form) Farore was in a beautiful dark green robe and dress similar to Zelda's, and had long, lighter green hair also like Zelda's.  
  
"Oh my God" Mirren whispered, "What would you three have for a kid like me?" Din smiled.  
  
"A special sword stronger than the Master Sword, the most powerful of blades ever" she said. Suddenly a great sword appeared in her hands, and she handed it to him. "Mirren, this is a sword made by us three, it is the Goddesses' Sword, it will be your only hope to defeat Ganondorf and Emralda" Mirren just stared at the beautiful weapon. Its bronze hilt was shining like no other, and the great blade of it sparkled. It looked so amazing, almost like it was made of platinum. He finally took it in his hands and held it. He was just mesmerized by what he was holding; the Goddesses' Sword. He held it up in the air and soon put it away in his scabbard since his other sword was gone. He then looked at the three smiling Goddesses.  
  
"You can do it Mirren, we believe in you, defeat them" Farore spoke, "save your friends and live in peace. Then you can Zelda how you really feel about her." Mirren's eyes then narrowed a little as he turned away from her.  
  
"I can never tell her" he whispered. Farore and Nayru looked surprised, but Din just looked angry.  
  
"And why is that?" she asked. Mirren finally turned to her, his eyes still narrow.  
  
"Because, she could never go for me!" he answered, "I'm just a kid. She's like ten years older than me. She could never date me or anything! What could she do with me!? Why would she ever go for me, a little kid, when she could have Link. I mean, he's her age, strong, handsome, he's perfect for her! There's nothing I could do with her, she's got Link, that's all she needs and wants. She would never ever go for me!" Din's eyes filled up with anger.  
  
"How dare you ever say that about Zelda!" she scolded. Everyone gasped in shock of Din's rage as she stared Mirren in the eye. "Never go for you? Never go for you?" she began, "sure Mirren, she really couldn't date you, but does that mean she'd never like you!? I don't think so! Mirren, have you noticed how much she already cares for you!? She likes you a heck of a lot! Maybe not with true love, but Mirren, you're favorite boy in the world! She said you were cute, she said she was sorry when you got hurt, she held you in her arms when you were injured, she took you to your room when you couldn't get there by yourself, she was so afraid for you when Dark Link and Phantom Ganon attacked. Mirren, she definitely likes you already! Tell her you really love her and get this big secret off your back, and Mirren, she'll treat you even better. She would do anything to make you happy believe me! Mirren, you're such a great warrior with a huge heart, but right now you're being a coward!" Everyone just stared in shock at what Din had just said. Even Mirren's eyes filled with shock, his mouth dropped as he looked away in shame.  
  
"Din, you mustn't be too hard on him..." Nayru began before Mirren interrupted her.  
  
"Yes she should!" he yelled. Everyone then looked at Mirren and were surprised at hi remark. "I have been a coward! I was a fool for saying that! I should've thought of this, but I didn't! I should've realized how much she cares for me right now; but I was a fool and acted like she would never like me! If I really was the courageous person I was; I'd tell her! And I promise right here right now, I'll tell her. If I can save her and everyone else..." Mirren was about to speak more, but he suddenly stopped, and everyone looked at him in surprise and waited for him to speak again. He then fell to his knees and hands as he looked down at the floor. He began weeping, but began to speak also. "I can't take it anymore" he said still crying, "Ganondorf and Emralda have just destroyed me. They've taken my best friends, my brother, and Zelda, the girl I've fallen in love with! I just can't take it, it's too much!" He then stopped speaking, and just fell down totally and began weeping. All the Sages, and the Goddesses just watched him as he wept in complete sadness. They felt terrible for him, and looked with faces of sorrow for him.  
  
Farore then knelt down next to him and put her hand on his back. She then picked him up and held him close as he still wept. She felt incredibly sorry for him, and knew the pain he was feeling.  
  
"Cry Mirren, let it out" she whispered in his ear, "Don't worry though, we'll help you save your friends, and then you're ready, you can tell Zelda."  
  
A little while later, Mirren was sitting alone. He was still hurting from all of what happened, and he just sat there meditating on it. He thought of all his friends, the ones who had helped him so much so far. Mardera, the Gerudo he saved from the Ogre Pirates and became great friends with. Jarlis, his lifelong pal, and the one who helped him defeat the Wolf-Bear. Taursus, the Minotaur who saved him from the Dodongos and helped him afterwards. Malon, the girl who had taught him how to ride, and given him Artra as his own pony. And Faria, Zelda's sister, his best friend who he always spent time with. He also thought of most importantly Link and Zelda; his most loved ones. Link, his only living family. The one who had been there for him all the time. He cared for him, helped him, and taught him how to be such a great archer. Mirren still remembered that day when he had first met Link. He remembered just turning around, and seeing his brother. He remembered the embrace they had, and the tears of joy Mirren had as he finally saw his older brother. He finally thought of Zelda. A girl who had just become his love in such short time. He didn't know what it was about her, except he just for some reason felt great whenever he was around her and whenever he did things with her. He just couldn't get her off his mind at times; he knew that he truly loved her. Ever since that night when he, Link and Jarlis came back from Terlon Forest, he started to like her. When she put her hand on his cheek and said he was cute with a smile, Mirren just began to be greatly fond of her. He had felt like he loved her after that, but wouldn't admit it. But when she held him her arms and carried him to his room when he was injured, that was when he was positive he loved her. As he thought of all these things, a couple tear drops dripped through his closed eyes and cascaded on the sparkling floor.  
  
All the Sages and the three Goddesses watched as Mirren wept silently. They felt terrible for him. They knew how hard it was for him to live through such pain, sorrow, suffering, and tragedy. And it was even worse since he was so young. Unfortunately, the Sages really knew that they couldn't help; but the Goddesses were a different story. Nabooru and Saria looked at each other sadly, but soon nodded with determination in their eyes. They stepped away from the Sages, and walked over to the Goddesses.  
  
"Listen, I know it isn't going to be easy, but is there any way you three could talk to him?" Saria asked quietly with her hands on her heart in sorrow for Mirren.  
  
"Yes, and we know we Sages won't be able to help" added Nabooru, "but we know that the Goddesses of Hyrule could." The three beautiful Goddesses looked at the female Sages, and thought of it.  
  
"We could most certainly try, and it will be hard" Nayru spoke, "but we're willing to do everything we can for Mirren.  
  
"Yes, I promise to help him as much as I can" added Farore, "I feel like I have a special relationship with Mirren, like we're almost family or something. Probably because since Link has my Triforce, and Mirren is his brother. So it's almost like we're as close as brother and sister, or even mother and son for that matter. But however it is, I will do everything in my power to help Mirren, count on it Saria!" Saria smiled and nodded her head in a grateful manner.  
  
"Thank you Farore, I just can't stand to see him like this any more" she replied.  
  
"Me too" added Nabooru, "It hurts me. I and Link were great friends, and we went through a lot together. So it's also like with your Farore, like me and Mirren are close." Farore nodded.  
  
"I will also help" said Nayru, "it's like with all of you. Since Zelda has my Triforce, and since Mirren has fallen in love with her, I feel like we're also family. And Din will help too. Right Din?" Din had her backed turned for the whole conversation. She put her head down and looked and sounded a little ashamed.  
  
"I don't think I can talk to him anymore for a while" she answered, "I really did get a little too tough on him. I should've realized he's just a kid, and it's incredibly hard for him to deal with all this. If I were him, I wouldn't speak to me either." Nayru then walked over to Din and put her hand on her shoulder.  
  
"If Mirren was the sweet, brave, gentle, mature child that he really is Din, he'd understand why you did that" she whispered, "I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually grateful for what you did. Because of that, he realized he wasn't acting like himself, and he was being a coward. And remember, because of you, he promised us he'd tell Zelda." Nayru now smiled and Din turned to her. She sighed and nodded her head.  
  
"Alright" she replied, "I'll go with you two." Farore also smiled and the three Goddesses turned to the brooding Mirren. Nayru and Farore stopped smiling for the time and realized how serious the situation was. They began walking over to him as Nabooru and Saria both whispered:  
  
"Thank you, thank all three of you."  
  
Mirren kept on thinking of everything and kept dripping tears before he suddenly noticed the three Goddesses. Farore and Nayru knelt down to the sides of him, and Din stood above him with her arms crossed.  
  
"Are you feeling any better Mirren?" asked Farore gently and softly like Zelda had spoken to him when he was hurt. Mirren opened his eyes and looked at her with tears in them. He couldn't speak, so he could only shake his head. Farore put her arm around his shoulders and knew what he was feeling. Mirren finally spoke.  
  
"I'm just crushed by this all" he said quietly from his sorrow, "I just miss them all. They took my best and most loved friends. All of them. I just can't get over it. And that they're doing this all because of what I did to them all those years ago to some piece of the Triforce I never had. This is all because of me!" He then closed his eyes and turned away as he wept. He kept on crying before Nayru spoke.  
  
"Mirren, I know how hard this is, but you're going to have to go and fight them" she began, "you must face your fear, and conquer the most powerful evil ever here in Hyrule. If you defeat them, you'll be the second Hero of Hyrule, and you'll also save all your friends." She then took Mirren's left hand and covered it with hers. "And if you do that, you can Zelda that you love her" she said, "when you're ready of course. And believe me, she won't care at all. Zelda is a very understanding girl, and already likes you. Mirren, if you tell her, she'll like you even more. It'll be almost like you'll be her own little brother." Mirren now opened his eyes and looked at Nayru. He managed to smile a little, even in his condition.  
  
"Thanks Nayru.." he said. He then turned to Din. "And thank you too Din, you also helped. Din closed her eyes and turned away in disgust of herself.  
  
"No Mirren, I was much too tough on" she replied, "I was too hard and got a little too angry back there. I treated you like a fool and a coward. I'm sorry" Mirren now turned his head in shame.  
  
"No Din, you were right" he said, "I was acting like a fool and coward. I said the stupidest words ever when I was saying Zelda wouldn't like me, and I've been a coward to keep this dumb secret from her. So thanks." Din's eyes opened up and turned to Mirren. She looked rather surprised, but smiled at his remarks. "But I'm so worried, if I don't save her and everyone else, Ganondorf and Emralda will kill them!" he suddenly said sadly as before, "I just could never stand to see them die. And it'd be even worse since I'd never be able to tell Zelda how I felt about her." A tear dripped from his eye and landed on the ground. Farore now knew she needed to help him, or he might lose all hope.  
  
"Mirren, I know how hard it is for you right now, and doing this will be even harder" she began, "Mirren, you must get rid of all this sorrow. I understand how you feel, and you every right to weep, but you must be stronger. I'm not scolding you whatsoever, because I'd probably be doing the same thing if I were you. But Mirren, for the sake of your friends, for the sake of Zelda, for the sake of your brother Link; you must turn all of your sorrow into rage." Mirren opened his eyes and looked at Farore. He was surprised at what she said, and confused on what she meant for that matter. Farore knew this, and explained it to him. "Mirren, your sorrow is what's keeping you from being the courageous, excellent warrior that you are. If you get rid of it, you'll be back to normal. And if you turn all that into anger, it'll make you stronger. With your rage, you'll be able to fight and defeat them with the great power. You won't be able to totally get rid of your sadness, but that's good. When sadness and anger mix, you'll be an unstoppable force. Just don't think of how bad everything is and not how hard it is without them, instead think of how angered you are that Ganondorf and Emralda did this. Be angry, use your full rage, it's the only way to defeat them."  
  
Mirren now understood it. He knew she was right, and how much his anger would help him.  
  
"You're right Farore, I must become enraged, and then I'll defeat them" he said softly. His eyes then narrowed and he stood up. "Even if it's the last thing I do; I'll defeat them, and save my friends!!!!" he yelled. He then thought of everything. Ganondorf and Emralda just stealing his friends. Taking them to their citadel. And having them at the risk of dieing. He thought of his only brother, going away forever. He thought of his friends, the ones who had helped him and always been there for him. Then he thought of Zelda, the girl he had fallen in love with; with all this, his sorrow turned into rage.  
  
He screamed in anger, and a vast amount of power began rushing through his veins. He unleashed that power, and the ground beneath him began to crack. Great amounts of wind poured out as he let out all of his anger and power. His great energy began to surround him, and he began glowing with gold light energy. Suddenly, an upside down golden triangle appeared on his right hand. It glowed with power, and Impa gasped in shock.  
  
"No way; is that really what I think it is?" she asked in a whisper of complete shock. Farore turned around and grinned. She nodded.  
  
"Yes, Mirren has it, but we mustn't speak of it yet" she whispered back, "not even he knows. And we must keep it a secret until the battle with Ganondorf and Emralda. They could be watching us somehow, and then they'd know what great power Mirren posses." She then turned back to Mirren, who was still screaming, unleashing, and glowing in power and energy. The symbol kept on shining, but Mirren still didn't notice it. Farore smiled.  
  
"That's it Mirren" she spoke to herself in her said, "you can defeat them; I know it."  
  
For the rest of the time in the Chamber of Sages, everyone discussed and planned for their attack on Emralda's Citadel. They all decided that they'd leave the next day at dawn and travel the whole way to the land of Herlassia. There the Six Sages would stay on the bottom part of the huge castle and take out all of Ganondorf's and Emralda's forces. Then the Goddesses and Mirren would go up the tower and as one Goddess stayed on one floor to fight the forces, the others would keep going up until Mirren got up to where the throne room was alone to fight Emralda and Ganondorf. This was where Emralda and Ganondorf spent most of their time, so everyone figured it'd be best to attack, not to mention everyone who had been captured was being held there. As the three Goddesses and the Six Sages discussed the plan, Mirren stood alone thinking. He was ready to fight Emralda and Ganondorf with his new found power. He was ready to save his friends and loved ones.  
  
"I will defeat them" he thought, "No matter what happens; I will save them all."  
  
Link just lay motionless against the wall of the throne room he had been chained to. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink for a while, and he was getting tired. But he didn't think about any of his pains or weaknesses, he just thought of Mirren.  
  
He thought of how sad Mirren must've been, and how hard it must've been for him to lose every friend and loved one he had. He knew that Mirren loved all of his friends, and would suffer greatly if he'd ever lose any of them, and in less than two days, that happened. But he knew Mirren would find some way to be strong and make it through everything. He knew that Mirren's heart was huge, and he was incredibly courageous. He knew that he would do anything to get there and save everyone, even if it meant losing his own life.  
  
As all of these thoughts rushed through his head, he just thought of that day when he first met Mirren. He remembered going into his village, and saving him from the shadows of Ganondorf and Emralda. He remembered taking him back to Hyrule Castle and healing all of his wounds. He remembered Kaepora Gaebora coming by and telling them all about Mirren. Then he remembered when Mirren finally woke up, and he set his eyes on his older brother. He remembered the tears of joy Mirren shed, and that embrace they had in happiness for finally finding each other.  
  
"Please Mirren, don't lose hope" he said to himself in his head, "don't give up. Give it everything you have to defeat Emralda and Ganondorf. Please Mirren, we're all counting on you. All of us. Malon, Artra, Mardera, Jarlis, Taursus, Faria, Zelda, and I. Don't give up Mirren, you can do it; I know you can."  
  
Link then closed his eyes as tears dripped through them and stained the ground. 


	17. Link's Little Brother Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
The sky was as dark as ever as the Six Sages, the Three Goddesses, and Mirren flew to Emralda's Citadel. This would be the battle that would decide the fate of four different things. All of Mirren's friends, Hyrule, Ganondorf and Emralda, and Mirren himself. As he flew atop Goldenfire, the Sages and Goddesses followed by the sides flying on their own.  
  
They had been flying for a while now, and passed all over Hyrule. Every time they flew over a certain place, the Sage of that area would look down on it and just hope that Mirren would be able to defeat Ganondorf and Emralda so that place, and the rest of Hyrule would be safe.  
  
Mirren had said nothing for the whole time. He just went on without speaking whatsoever. His eyes were narrow with three things. Fierceness, determination, and intensity. The only things that were going on in his head were thoughts of fighting the most powerful duo in Hyrule ever. He just thought of battling both with all his might against their dark power, and hopefully defeating them to save all of his friends.  
  
After about an hour, they passed over Hyrule Castle and began flying into Herlassia. It was a very typical land. Creeks, cliffs, ponds, forests, glades, a couple mountains, and rivers. But one thing this land didn't have was villages or towns. Instead, whatever even populated the land seemed to live in towers and forts. They kept on flying, and everyone was a little surprised at what Herlassia really was.  
  
"Ya know, I expected this place to be nothing but a wasteland devoid of beauty, but it's rather......... normal" said Nabooru. Saria nodded.  
  
"Yes, I must agree" she replied, "It's almost like Hyrule. I'm actually shocked." Impa then turned her head to the two Sages as she kept flying.  
  
"It won't seem much nicer or normal once you lay eyes on that" she said as she pointed her finger outwards. Nabooru and Saria looked, and gasped in fear.  
  
It was Emralda's Citadel in the distance. It was just a huge black fort, with a rather large castle at the bottom, and a great ebony-like tower in the middle which just rose God knows how many feet into the air. It pierced the clouds, and it seemed everything around the tower was just dead or darkness.  
  
"My God, it's just, incredible, it's almost scary" Ruto whispered. Impa nodded to her.  
  
"You better believe it, It's ever worse than what Ganon's Castle was four years ago, and we thought that was terrible!" she spoke. Darunia then joined the conversation.  
  
"Yes, but Link was able to conquer it and destroy Ganondorf, so if my sworn brother can do it, than my sworn little brother can do it!" he exclaimed. Impa looked very serious now.  
  
"As much as I'd hope this ordeal would go about like, I'm afraid that Mirren is going to be in the fight for his life" she replied, "he's going to have to take on the most evil, most powerful foes ever to be spawned here in Hyrule. He's got quite a fight ahead of him; I just hope he can defeat them"  
  
Farore had listened to the whole conversation and now looked at Mirren as she still flew. He still had the same expression. Intensity, determination, and fierceness. She knew what was going through his head right then and there, and she knew he didn't care that he was being talked about. The only thing that really mattered was saving his friends.  
  
Soon, everyone finally landed outside the black castle. They got grouped together and got their plan ready.  
  
"Alright, everyone remember?" began Din, "we'll go in, and you Six Sages will take on the forces inside the castle. Me, Farore, Nayru, and Mirren will then go up the tower and take on any forces there. One by one, we three Goddesses will stay on one of the three floors to fend off the forces there. Then Mirren will go up to the top floor and begin his fight with Ganondorf and Emralda. Understood?" Everyone nodded.  
  
"Alright, let's go!" exclaimed Rauru. Everyone was then ready to charge into the citadel before suddenly a huge cloud of blackness formed in the sky. Everyone looked up in complete confusion before the cloud then began breaking up into tiny pieces and flying down towards them. They all couldn't think of what it was before Ruto finally did.  
  
"They're flying demons!" she exclaimed, "They must the outside forces!" Impa gritted her teeth.  
  
"Just great!" she yelled, "we didn't plan on this at all!!!" Mirren then looked at Impa.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it, I've got it covered!" Mirren finally said. He then turned to Goldenfire and pointed up to the numerous flying demons. "Goldenfire, take 'em out!" he shouted. The huge golden dragon nodded and let out a battle cry. His roar was as loud and deep as ever, it echoed throughout the entire land as the demons froze in fear. Goldenfire then flew up and began taking them out with massive swipes of his awesome claws. The ones that were hit screamed in pain and were sent plummeting to the ground. As he just destroyed them by just using his claws, they began throwing their spears at him and spitting out fire. Each time he was hit, it bounced off his golden body, and he'd retaliate with a blast of fire; burning the flying demons to a terrible death.  
  
Nayru looked up in awe and couldn't believe the great power of Goldenfire. "I figured that dragon would come in handy for this battle, but certainly not like this!" she exclaimed. Everyone else nodded, but Farore didn't. Instead she looked as Mirren did.  
  
"We don't have time to watch him destroy them, we gotta get in that castle and get on with the plan, the sake of Mirren's friends and all of Hyrule is at stake!" she shouted. Everyone then realized that they had got sidetracked and nodded to the great Goddess. They all then ran to the castle doors and flung them open. The huge black and red doors opened, and crashed into the walls, making a huge noise. They all then ran inside and hurried down the carpet hallway.  
  
"The next door should be the entrance to the inside of the castle, this place is very similar to Ganon's Castle, so we kinda have an advantage!" said Nabooru. They all they came to the door, Mirren crashed through it and pulled out the Goddesses Sword. He stepped into the central area of the castle, and saw the entrance to the tower. His eyes narrowed as he then suddenly realized the incredible amount of troops about the place.  
  
They all had faces of anger, and were in their battle positions with their weapons in hand. There were Moblins, Monblins, Dinolfos, Stalfos, and Iron Knuckles by the dozens. This was the second line of defense.  
  
"Well Sages, let's do it!" yelled Impa and fired a beam of energy. It hit a Dinolfos and instantly took him out. The other troops let out their battle cries, and charged into battle. The other Sages then came in and began firing off their magic as they took more out. As they began their fight, Impa looked at Mirren.  
  
"Mirren, go inside the tower with the Goddesses, go defeat Ganondorf and Emralda; go save your friends" she spoke. Mirren nodded and looked at the three Goddesses. They nodded, and began running down the carpet path to the entrance of the tower. They almost got their, before suddenly four huge Monblins jumped in front of them and blocked the path. They grinned evilly and got their war-clubs ready. Mirren gritted his teeth and was ready to attack before a beam of orange light came flying by and took all four of them out. Mirren turned around to see Nabooru with her arms outstretched.  
  
"Go Mirren, go with the Goddesses and get your revenge on those two evil fools!" she yelled. Mirren nodded and looked at the Goddesses. They all nodded.  
  
"Let's go Mirren" said Farore. They all then ran into the tower and began running up the huge flight of stairs to the first floor as the Sages continued their massive battle.  
  
The three ran as fast as they could up the huge flight of stairs. Mirren had the same face of intensity and had his mighty blade out. He was ready to fight, he was ready to save everyone; he was ready to defeat the most evil beings ever in Hyrule. They all kept going when they finally came to the first door. They all went in, and noticed nothing was around.  
  
"What in the world!?" exclaimed Mirren. Suddenly about fifteen Stalfos appeared in the room. They all pulled out their shields and swords and grinned evilly. Mirren gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He got his blade ready before he felt Din's hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Mirren, you mustn't waste any energy before your battle, these fools are mine!" she said, and destroyed two with a blast of fire, creating an open way for them to get through to the next door. "Go now!" she yelled as she attacked another with a stream of fire from her hand. They all nodded and began running as fast as they could to the door. They got there, and began running up the second flight of stairs. The three ran and ran, and Mirren looked at Farore.  
  
"Hey, is this really your plan to not have me fight before the battle with Emralda and Ganondorf at all?" he asked. Farore nodded.  
  
"Yes, we can't take a chance of you getting injured, you must be at full power to fight them!" she answered. Nayru then noticed the next door up ahead on the stairway.  
  
"I've got the next room!" she yelled, "like Din, I'll blast a path for you, and you guys get through and get going!"  
  
"You got it!" replied Farore and Mirren in unison. They then came upon the door, and went into the second room of the tower. They all got in, and waited for the next assault of troops. Sure enough, appeared a huge bunch of Moblins. Nayru searched out the door and shot two Moblins with her eyes beams to clear a path for Farore and Mirren.  
  
"Go on my friends, and good luck Mirren" she said. Mirren nodded and instantly he and Farore ran to the door. Mirren went through it first and began just burning his way up the stairs with great speed. Farore amazingly kept up and followed right by his side.  
  
"I'll do the same as the others, but I suggest you get a head start, I won't have much time to just deal with you" she spoke. Mirren nodded.  
  
"No problem" he said. She smiled at him and they soon came to the final door and Mirren clutched the handle. He was about to open it, before he just turned his head to Farore.  
  
"One thing before I go fight Emralda and Ganondorf..." he said. Farore looked him a little surprised and waited for his answer. He looked straight up at her and smiled. "Thanks" Farore smiled back and nodded.  
  
"It was nothing Mirren, you deserved it" she replied. Mirren smiled even more. He then opened the door and was back to his intensified mode. He instantly noticed the door and made a break for it. He was only about ten feet from it before about fifteen Iron Knuckles appeared before him. Farore was ready and blasted two away with a huge ball of energy. It cleared a good enough path for Mirren and he ran to the door. He held the handle and turned back to Farore.  
  
"You can do it Mirren, do it for Hyrule, do it for your friends, do it for your brother Link.........do it for Zelda" she said. Mirren turned away with a slight smile and laughed quietly. He opened the door, and began running up the stairs. The words of Farore made him smile, but as usual not for long. He soon had his eyes narrowed, and he was as fiercer looking as ever. He grasped the Goddesses' Sword in his right hand, and ran up the stairs ready for the final battle.  
  
In the throne room of Ganondorf and Emralda, the two evil duo had watched everything through the mystical fire. Even though Mirren had gotten through everything and was making his way to the room at that second, they smiled wickedly and laughed.  
  
"Isn't that funny, the Six Sages and the three Goddesses helping out the brat, well I never expected it, but it's actually kinda good..." began Ganondorf before Emralda interrupted him.  
  
"And why do you say that my brother?" she asked. Ganondorf turned to his evil sister and grinned evilly.  
  
"Because, without their help he'd never had been able to make it up to here" he answered, "so we wouldn't had even been able to fight him. Not like it matters though; we'll still kill him!" Ganondorf let out a diabolical laugh before the chained Zelda interrupted it.  
  
"Mirren will never lose!" she shouted, "Mirren will not lose to you two devils! He knows the importance of this battle, he knows what's at risk; Hyrule, his best friends' lives, and even his own life! He will not stand to lose all of that! Mirren may be small, but he's got the biggest heart in the world; and I know he'll defeat you two!!!!" Zelda was incredibly angered, and her eyes and words showed that. As the Princess of Hyrule glared at them both, Ganondorf gritted his teeth.  
  
"How dare you ever interrupt me you stupid girl!" he yelled, "You're in no condition to say such things to us!! I am the Scourge of Hyrule, and no one, especially you Zelda deserves to insult us this way!!! Ya know what? I think it'll do you and that stupid brat Mirren some good if I kill you right now!" Everyone gasped in shock as Ganondorf threw his hand out. A black ball of dark energy began forming in it, and soon it was at full power. He aimed it at Zelda, and had pure anger in his eyes. "Die you stupid Princess!!!!" he yelled. He was then just about to fire the ball of energy before the doors to the throne room flung open. Everyone gasped in shock, and even Ganondorf and Emralda somewhat froze in surprise. It was Mirren; carrying the Goddesses' Sword in his hand and glaring with pure hatred in his eyes.  
  
"Touch her Ganondorf, and I swear I'll make you suffer even worse than I already will" he said with the fiercest glare ever. Everyone just stared in shock as Mirren just stood there. They couldn't believe that he was finally here, and that he looked so ready for battle. They were also surprised to see his great new blade, and the awesome armor he was wearing. As everyone else just had their jaws drop, Zelda and Link smiled.  
  
"He's finally here" whispered Link, "my little brother."  
  
"He can do it, I know he can, I have pure confidence in him" Zelda said. Link then turned his head to Zelda.  
  
"You seem to like him a lot Zelda, do you think he's cute or something?" Link asked with a grin. Zelda smiled again.  
  
"I actually did say that to him, and it's also like I feel that he's my own little brother" she answered. Link's grin then turned into a smile.  
  
"I can see where you're coming from, I kinda felt that way with Faria" he said. They both smiled at each before then looking at Ganondorf and Emralda, who were right now grinning wickedly.  
  
"So, the day has finally come, the day we get our revenge on you and fight to the death" said Emralda, "I'll tell ya one thing, you've got guts, but that won't be enough. We'll kill you for what you did to us all those years ago!"  
  
"Yes, and then we'll kill your friends and make you suffer even more" Ganondorf added, "it is time kid; for you to die!" Ganondorf let out a quiet, yet evil laugh as he pointed to Mirren. The warrior boy simply stood holding his great sword in his right hand, and with the glare still on his intensified face.  
  
"I will not let you hurt any of my friends, I've said this before, and I'll say it again" he began, "even if it means giving up my own life for the good of my friends and loved ones, I'll do it. I'd rather have myself suffer than them. This battle is between you two and me, not them." Emralda sneered.  
  
"Anxious to fight I see, I'm surprised, I've never seen anyone so excited to die" she said. Ganondorf smiled evilly.  
  
"Yes I must agree, kid, there is no way you can take us both on, you might as well just run away and save yourself" he said, "but if you really want to fight us and try to save your friends.fine. Are you ready to fight your final battle kid?" As Ganondorf and Emralda grinned diabolically, Mirren narrowed his eyes and got in a battle position with the Goddesses' Sword grasped by both hands.  
  
"Just bring it" he answered quietly from anger. Emralda then threw her staff out and shot a beam of energy at Mirren. He jumped up and easily dodged it. Ganondorf then lunged at him and went for a massive punch. Mirren lifted up the sacred blade and blocked the punch. Ganondorf smiled and went for another punch with his left hand. The fist soared towards Mirren's unprotected chest and was just about to connect before Mirren did a flip over Ganondorf and landed on his feet behind him. He was going to go for a stab to Ganondorf's back before he saw Emralda shoot a ball of dark energy at him. He jumped away, and the ball came flying at Ganondorf. The Evil King turned around just in time and lifted up his long black cape to block the attack. Emralda gritted her teeth in anger.  
  
"Stupid child!!" she shouted, and flew at Mirren. She lifted her staff above her head and was ready to attack. She brought down the great staff down and came very close to smashing Mirren's head, but he lifted up the Goddesses' Sword just in time and blocked the shot. The two grappled with their weapons for a few moments before Ganondorf rushed in and punched the distracted Mirren straight on the left cheek. Mirren grunted in pain for a second and was knocked sideways. He stood on his feet away from Ganondorf recuperating from the attack. Ganondorf stood behind him and balled up his fist for another punch with an evil grin as he waited for the weakened Mirren to turn around. Soon Mirren did, but when he turned around, he showed no pain at all and screamed in fury at Ganondorf. He reared back and slashed him straight across the face.  
  
Ganondorf yelled in pain and crashed into the ground ten feet away from Mirren. Everyone's jaws dropped as they saw Ganondorf lay on the ground and groan in pain from the hit. Emralda was shocked, but was also angry. She also yelled in anger and charged at Mirren. The young boy turned to her and pointed his sword at her. He yelled in power as he shot a blast of energy from the blade. Emralda froze in shock from the attack and was hit head on. She yelled in pain and was sent flying before she just smashed in the floor. Everyone then gasped in shock from Mirren's attack. They didn't know Mirren knew that technique, and could do it so well! Link smiled.  
  
"So Mirren also knows how to shoot energy from a sword" he whispered. As Mirren just glared at the hurt Emralda, Ganondorf slowly got up. He clutched his wounded cheek and gritted his teeth in anger. Mirren noticed him, and turned to the Scourge of Hyrule.  
  
"You dumb child, let's see you just attack right back from this!!!" he yelled. Ganondorf then threw his hand out and shot a ball of dark energy at him. The black and somewhat yellow sphere of energy rocketed from his hand and came flying at Mirren. He was just able to jump sideways and dodge the shot, but Ganondorf let go of his cheek and shot another ball of energy at him using his other arm.  
  
"Dodge this!!" he yelled. Mirren saw this coming and once again just dodged it as it flew to the other side of the huge throne room and exploded. Ganondorf yelled in fury and then shot a ball of energy from both hands. The pair of dark spheres came soaring at Mirren and just glowed with immense power. Mirren knew he couldn't dodge these, so he lifted his blade up and slashed them both as they went flying back at Ganondorf. Like Emralda had done before, Ganondorf froze in shock and couldn't evade the attack. His own blasts of dark energy came flying back at him; and he was hit by both. They exploded on contact and sent him flying into the wall. He yelled in pain and cracked the wall from the great force.  
  
Mirren stood breathing heavily as he began to tire a little. He got back in his battle position as he just waited for Ganondorf to get up so he could attack him. But he totally forgot about Emralda, and it proved to be a big mistake. She got up, and shot a bolt of energy from her staff at him.  
  
"Mirren! Look out!!!" yelled Faria. Mirren heard her and finally remembered Emralda. He tried to fully turn around and somehow dodge the attack, but it was too late and the bolt hit him. He cried out in pain and was knocked flat. Emralda recovered from her last hit as she grinned evilly. She then looked at Ganondorf, who was now getting up.  
  
"You okay my brother?" she asked. Ganondorf fully got up as he put his left hand on the wall to hold himself up. He breathed heavily from the fatigue and pain and wiped the blood from his face with his other hand. He then finally took his hand off the wall and stood upright.  
  
"I'm fine" he answered as he turned to Emralda. He then smiled evilly as Mirren slowly got up. Ganondorf then began producing another ball of dark energy in his hand and waited for Mirren to get up. The wait wasn't a long one, and soon Mirren was on his feet. Ganondorf then instantly threw the ball at him.  
  
"Take this you fool of a kid!!!!" he yelled. Mirren was just able to raise his head up to see the ball, but didn't have the time to block it or dodge it. The sphere of dark energy hit him, and exploded on contact. Mirren screamed in pain as he was sent flying. He crashed hard on the ground, and Zelda and Faria turned away in horror.  
  
"Mirren! No!!" yelled Link. Ganondorf smiled diabolically from Link's concern and slowly began advancing towards the hurt Mirren. He just lay on the ground groaning in pain, as a couple wounds on his body opened up and bled. Ganondorf was soon standing over him, and picked him up the throat. He held him up in the air and smiled evilly as Mirren just looked at him through painful eyes.  
  
"Well, isn't this interesting, you had said you'd make me suffer" Ganondorf taunted, "sure, you hit me a couple times, but that was no where near suffering. I knew you were too weak to fight us, but you'd never listen. Tell me kid, how does this feel?" Ganondorf then took his hand and punched Mirren square in thestomach. The huge fist just dug into it through the armor, and Mirren's eyes just widened in shock and pain. Everyone gasped in shock, and all the girls just turned away in horror for Mirren. His face began to grow pale, and his mouth just hung down as blood trickled from it.  
  
"Mirren!!!!!" Link yelled. Tears began to form in Link's eyes as Mirren just stayed the same way he was. As everyone else just was horrified by the attack, Emralda and Ganondorf grinned wickedly. Ganondorf then let out an evil laugh, and Mirren just closed his eyes. Everyone gasped in fear, and Ganondorf stopped laughing. He looked down at the hurt Mirren, and grinned.  
  
"So kid, what is it like to feel real pain?" he asked. Mirren then opened his eyes and slowly looked up at Ganondorf. He looked at him through his hurt expression, and finally lowered his head. Zelda froze in shock and fear.  
  
"Mirren, no" she whispered as tears slowly formed in her eyes. Ganondorf laughed diabolically at his success before Mirren suddenly lifted his head up in a flash and just sprayed a stream of blood into Ganondorf's face. He dropped Mirren and clutched his face as the blood went into his eyes and blinded him. He grunted from the stinging pain, and Mirren quickly grabbed the Goddesses' Sword. He reared back and did an excellent vertical slash on Ganondorf's body. He yelled in pain and was sent flying. Emralda gasped in shock and was incredibly surprised at what Mirren had just done.  
  
"You fool! I'll make you pay you dumb child!" she yelled. She then rushed at him and smacked him across the face with her staff. Mirren's head just flung sideways, but he soon brought it back and retaliated with a great slice across her body. She also screamed in pain and was knocked down.  
  
She landed on the hard floor and held her hurt shoulder. She rived in pain as the blood flowed freely and stained her royal purple dress. Mirren just stood breathing from fatigue and holding the Goddesses' Sword in his hand. He stood straight up with his legs stretched out a little and his arms to his sides. He could see the damage he had done to them, and figured it'd be best if he took this to rest since he knew they wouldn't be attacking for a little bit. He just stood the way he was for a little while before Ganondorf and Emralda slowly began to get up. They were still hurt, but let go of their injuries and glared at Mirren.  
  
"Kid, you're quite impressive, and you're obviously stronger than us" Ganondorf said as he breathed heavily from pain and fatigue, "But we're not finished yet! We can't defeat you in these stages, but we can when we transform!" Mirren gasped in shock as Ganondorf and Emralda then began yelling in fury and power. They had their arms outstretched, and were glowing with awesome energy. Link just froze.  
  
"No.... not Ganon" he whispered. Sure enough, he was right. Ganondorf finally began changing into his beast form, and he just looked at terrifying as he did when he transformed four years ago against Link and Zelda. His skin began to be covered in green and gray scales, and he grew into an enormous size. He grew out a huge and wide tail, along with hooves for feet. Two great horns very similar to a ram's grew on his head, and his face just became that of a beast with glowing yellow eyes. His great twin swords appeared in his hands and he was fully transformed into Ganon.  
  
As for Emralda, she began turning into a dragon. Two huge wings with many scars and cuts on them grew on her back as her skin also formed into scales. Her hands turned into huge and incredibly sharp claws, and the same went for her feet which were now more like talons. She grew out a long, whip-like tail, and her head finally turned into that of a dragon. Her scales turned into a dark purple color, and now she was fully transformed. Mirren just stood in shock; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ganon just laughed evilly.  
  
"A little shocked kid?" Ganon taunted, "Well I'm not surprised, it's not every day we do this. Just try and defeat us now you fool, you're going to pay!!" Ganon was then ready to take one of his great blades and slice Mirren to his death; before suddenly the doors flung open, and there stood the three Goddesses. Ganon instantly turned around, and was shocked to see the three great Goddesses of Hyrule. They all glared at him and the dragon- Emralda.  
  
"What are you three doing here?" asked the dragon-Emralda. Din's eyes narrowed.  
  
"We're here to help Mirren defeat you, but we're mainly here to help one of the captives fight" she answered. Ganon and Emralda looked at her a little confused, before suddenly Link's chains disappeared, and he just floated down to the ground and finally over to Mirren. Everyone gasped in surprise, and Farore grinned as Mirren and Link looked at her also surprised.  
  
"We've come here to set you free Link, so you fight with Mirren, your little brother, and defeat these two" she spoke. Link still looked surprised, but finally looked down at Mirren and smiled. Mirren looked up at his older brother and smiled back. Suddenly, the Master Sword and the Mirror Shield appeared in Link's hands. He smiled at his great weapons, and looked down at Mirren again.  
  
"You ready to fight again Mirren?" he asked. Mirren grinned and nodded.  
  
"You bet bro" he answered. They both smiled at each as Ganon roared in rage.  
  
"Forget this! Let's get 'em Emralda!" he yelled. The two beasts then charged at the two warrior brothers as the got in their battle positions.  
  
"I'll get Ganon, you get Emralda, got it Mirren?" said Link.  
  
"No problem!" answered Mirren, and lunged at Emralda. Link then charged at Ganon, and the battle began.  
  
Link charged at Ganon, and the great beast went for a vertical slash. Link rose up the Mirror Shield and blocked the shot. He then ran at Ganon and rolled under his legs. He got up and was ready to strike Ganon's tail before he brought it down and crushed Link with it.  
  
"Ha!" exclaimed Ganon, "you fool Link! My tail is no longer my weak spot! I can be hurt anywhere, but I'm even stronger than before!" He then brought his tail up again and was ready to crush Link again before he rolled away and got in a fighting position.  
  
Ganon swung around and rushed at Link. He went for an awesome stab, but Link jumped up and landed on the blade. He ran up it and jumped at Ganon's face. He did a cut across Ganon's face and jumped back as the beast roared in pain and as blood flowed from his wound. Link realized he had hurt him and went in for another attack. He did a slash across Ganon's leg, and cut it open. Ganon yelled in fury and kicked Link. He got just smacked by the huge hoof and was sent flying. Ganon ignored all pain and charged at Link. He roared in rage and brought his sword down. Link was able to see this in time and once again blocked it with the Mirror Shield. He quickly up and shot a beam of energy from the Master Sword. The beam of energy hit Ganon and knocked him back a few feet. The beast staggered for a few seconds as Link dashed at him ready for another attack of the Master Sword. He jumped up and yelled in fury. Ganon then took one of his blades and slashed Link.  
  
The huge sword hit Link and made him just scream in pain. It cut him open and sent him flying into the wall. Link smashed up against it and yelled in pain as blood flowed from his side a little. He rived in pain as Ganon sneered.  
  
"The Hero of Time.ha!" he yelled, "You're much too weak to fight me now punk! You may have been able to defeat me all those years ago, but now I'm ever more powerful! I am invincible! As Ganon, I shall finally kill you!" Link then suddenly got up and shot another blast of energy at Ganon from the Master Sword. The blast hit Ganon square in the chest and made him roar in pain. He staggered like before, but this time crashed on the ground. The whole tower shook, and Link just glared at him.  
  
"I'd doubt that" he said.  
  
Back with Mirren and the dragon-Emralda, the battle was just as intense. They were both fighting well, and had gotten a few hits in already. Emralda was very quick and agile, but it was often hard for her to hit Mirren. Since he was also agile and was very small, he'd often easily dodge her attacks. They both kept on fighting as they both kicked it up a notch.  
  
Emralda screeched as loud as ever and went for a slash. Mirren couldn't block it in time and was sent flying. He landed hard on the ground as Emralda flew at him and was ready to attack him while he was down. He knew he couldn't get up in time, so he just pointed his sword at her, and shot a beam of energy once again. It came out too quickly, and it hit her right in the face.  
  
She shrieked in pain and held her injured face. Mirren realized he had stunned her, and ran at her for an attack. He jumped towards her and threw the Goddesses' Sword out for a stab. He yelled in fury and connected it in her body. The great blade dug into her skin and made her roar in pain. Mirren then pulled it back as she backed off a little as she held her wound. He jumped at her again and did a great jumping slash.  
  
He brought his blade down onto her face and sliced it open. She once again roared in pain and was knocked down from the blow. She kept roaring in pain as the cut bled. Her blood flowed out from it and stained the floor. Mirren breathed heavily from the fatigue he was beginning to get. He just stood resting for a few seconds before the dragon-Emralda slowly got up. Once she was, he got the Goddesses' Sword in position and charged at her. He was ready to do another great attack before she lifted her head up and shot a blast of fire from her mouth.  
  
The blaze hit Mirren directly and made him yell in pain. He flew though the air towards the windows and smacked against the hard floor right next to them. He lay riving in pain as he still burned a little from the awesome fire. Emralda finally got up on her feet (or talons, whatever) and panted from her own fatigue and pain.  
  
"Nice attacks kid, but you're time is up, I'm going to finally kill you, and then all your friends!" she yelled. Everyone gasped in shock as Zelda struggled against her chains.  
  
"No! I won't let you hurt him!" she yelled, "I won't let him die!" Nayru then looked up at her.  
  
"Zelda, I know your pain, but you're in no condition to fight, let us Goddesses do this!" she said. She then looked at Farore and Din. The three nodded at each other and were ready to charge at her before Emralda swung around and shot blasts of fire at all three of them. The three Goddesses froze in shock and realized they couldn't block or evade the shots. The fires came flying at them, and hit them head on. They all yelled in pain and smacked against the wall where everyone else was. The fires then surrounded their entire bodies and trapped them against the wall.  
  
"No! We're trapped!" yelled Farore. Emralda grinned through her dragon face.  
  
"You got it you stupid Goddesses, now you three can't interfere with the battle any longer, you can now watch Mirren and Link die!" she yelled. She then heard some odd, whistle type noise. She turned around; and just froze in fear. She looked down at Mirren, and just saw him holding his ocarina. He grinned at her, and she began backing off.  
  
"No...." she said quietly from fear. Everyone watched in confusion for a few moments before Goldenfire suddenly crashed through one of the windows and flew at her. He reared back and slashed her right across the face. She roared in pain, and smashed right into the floor.  
  
Everyone gasped in shock at Goldenfire, and couldn't believe he had finally arrived. He just snarled at her as Mirren slowly got up. He put away his ocarina and reached into his pockets. Everyone watched and waited for what Mirren was about to pull out. After a few seconds more, he finally pulled out the Fire, Ice, and Thunder Diamonds. They all gasped in shock as Mirren just held them as he glared at the dragon-Emralda. She slowly got up, and Goldenfire just blew her away with a blast of fire. She roared in pain as the golden blaze scorched her body, and knocked her back against the floor. Everyone else besides Mirren turned their heads away from the bright light and great heat. Soon Goldenfire stopped, and there laid a scorched dragon- Emralda. She let out a low moan of pain, and she suddenly changed back to her human form.  
  
She lay on the floor groaning in pain for a few more moments before she finally got up. She was incredibly hurt, had a bunch of bloody cuts and other wounds on her body that stained her dress. She staggered for a few more moments before finally speaking.  
  
"Please Mirren, don't kill me, I'm sorry for what I've done, I'll never try and do anything to you or your friends again" she pleaded as she clutched her wounds. Mirren's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Forgive you?" he asked scornfully, "forgive you after you took my best friends and loved ones and planned to kill them and me over some stupid incident five years ago? For something ~you~ started? You'd never show me or any of my friends mercy. You will pay for all your evil." Mirren then threw the Thunder Diamond in the air. He held the Ice Diamond in his left hand and the Fire Diamond in his right hand. As the Thunder Diamond came down, he caught it into between the other two diamonds.  
  
"Here comes the pain Emralda, here comes the pain!" The three legendary diamonds then lit up, and soon they shot out their special powers. A beam of ice came from the Ice Diamond, a blast of fire came from the Fire Diamond, and a thunder bolt came from the Thunder Diamond. They all came flying towards her as Mirren screamed in fury and as she screamed in fear.  
  
Soon, all the blasts hit her, and a great explosion of power erupted. The ice just literally froze parts of her body, the fire burnt other parts, and the thunder just blasted away everything else. She screamed in pain as she felt the powers just annihilate her body, and Ganon watched in horror as he saw his sister die from the blasts of power.  
  
Soon, the blasts stopped, and Emralda just fell to the ground as she closed her eyes. Ganon then turned back into Ganondorf and as she fell to the floor, he instantly ran to her side. He knelt down next to his dead sister, and held her in his arms. He looked at her through his sorrowful eyes, and he couldn't believe she was dead. He set her down on the ground as her body slowly disappeared. He just held his head down in sadness. Everyone watched in shock as they saw Ganondorf mourn for his dead sister. The only ones who didn't have an expression of shock were Link and Mirren, who just glared at him. He finally got up and screamed in rage like no other. His eyes filled up with anger, and he yelled even louder. The ground literally shook, and he looked at Mirren and Link with pure hatred and rage in his eyes.  
  
"You two will pay for Emralda!" he shouted, "especially you Mirren! You killed my sister, and on behalf of her, I'll make your death the worst ever! I'll make you and all of your friends suffer for her death! I'm going to change into my ultimate form and kill every one of you! Prepare to see Shadow Ganondorf you fools; and suffer!!!!!!!"  
  
Ganondorf then screamed in complete rage, fury, and power. Black energy surrounded his body as he just kept screaming. It was like when Mirren had powered up in the Chamber of Sages. There was tons of wind, the ground beneath Ganondorf began cracking, the whole room shook, and the windows also began to crack, and a few even shattered. After about a full minute of this, Ganondorf let one last incredible scream, and he began to change.  
  
His hair and eyes turned into fire, his green skin darkened, his already huge muscles bulged, two huge curved bones suddenly sprouted from his shoulders, a line of small black spikes formed on both of his arms, his armor was as black as ever and looked like Dark Link's, and finally an enormous battle sword appeared in his hand. He finally stopped yelling, and just hovered in mid air as dark energy still surrounded his body.  
  
Everyone just froze in shock, and their jaws dropped down. They had never seen anything like it. They couldn't believe Ganondorf actually had a more powerful state than Ganon, and that they were all seeing it right then and there. Shadow Ganondorf just glared as his literally fiery eyes settled on Link.  
  
He pointed his finger at him, and shot a beam of energy at him. It struck Link head on, and it went right through him. Link didn't even scream. He just gasped in shock and his widened in pain.  
  
"Liiiiiiiiiiiiink!!!!!!!!" yelled Zelda as tears poured from her eyes.  
  
"Broooooooooooooo!!!!!!" screamed Mirren as tears also formed in his eyes. Link just hung in mid air the way he was for a few more seconds before Shadow Ganondorf shot two fireballs from his eyes. They both hit Link, and sent him flying into the wall. He fell down to the floor, and closed his eyes. Mirren just stood in shock as he saw his brother just hit the wall still burning from the fire. His mouth hung right down as tears rolled down his eyes. He dropped the Goddesses' Sword and just couldn't believe what he had just seen.  
  
Shadow Ganondorf then looked at him and grinned wickedly. "So boy, what is it like to see your brother die?" he taunted. Zelda was now weeping terribly, and Farore also had tears pouring from her eyes. Mirren didn't look at Shadow Ganondorf; he just stared at his dead brother. He then just fell to his hands and knees and cried like heck. Tear after tear after tear just came out from his eyes and stained the floor.  
  
"Link! No!" he sobbed. He couldn't say anything else. He just kept on crying as Shadow Ganondorf just laughed wickedly.  
  
"Now you know what's it's like to lose a family member you fool" he spoke, "I told you I'd make you and all your friends suffer, and I figured it'd be best if I started off this way, with your own flesh and blood." Shadow Ganondorf then let out another wicked laugh, and Mirren slowly got up as he shed his final tears. He took the Goddesses' Sword and looked at Shadow Ganondorf with tears and pure rage in his eyes.  
  
"You'll be sorry for what you've done to my brother!!!!!!" he yelled. He screamed in fury and lunged at Shadow Ganondorf. He went for a slash, and then another, then a stab, then a slice, and then another slash. But each time he did this; Shadow Ganondorf would lift up his great sword and block the shot. But Mirren didn't stop. With pure anger inside of him, he kept on attacking. He jumped back and then jumped forward at Shadow Ganondorf. He lifted his sword above his head and brought it down. As usual though, Shadow Ganondorf blocked the shot, but this time retaliated.  
  
He shot another two fireballs from his eyes, and they both hit Mirren. He yelled in pain and flew back. He crashed in the ground and groaned in pain from the burning pain. Goldenfire was angered that his master was hurt, and went to attack Shadow Ganondorf. He saw the great dragon coming, and simply threw his hand out and shot three dark energy bolts at it. Each one hit, and the dragon roared in pain as he was knocked against the wall unconscious. Shadow Ganondorf laughed evilly.  
  
"Ha!" he exclaimed turning to Mirren, "you don't stand a chance against my ultimate form, and neither does your stupid dragon! Take this!" He then shot a ball of dark energy like the times before from his hand, but these ones were triple the power. Mirren slowly lifted his head up and saw the sphere of dark energy. He knew he couldn't evade it or block it, so he just prepared for the pain. It struck his already wounded body and exploded upon him. It burned him and just crushed his small body. He screamed in pain as it damaged his armor and burned it.  
  
Everyone gasped in horror as they watched it hurt Mirren so badly. They couldn't believe the extraordinary amount of pain he had already taking, and now what he was getting was just even worse. They couldn't believe how strong Shadow Ganondorf was, and they just wondered if Mirren really could defeat him now.  
  
"What is he gonna do? He doesn't stand a chance against him!" yelled Mardera.  
  
"No kidding! But Mirren isn't one to go down just like that, he'll find a way I know it!" shouted Taursus. Jarlis gritted his teeth. It just hurt him so much to see his lifelong pal suffer so much at that moment.  
  
"Don't give up Mirren! You can do it!" he yelled, "I know you can!" Mirren slowly got up, and he breathed heavily as he glared at Shadow Ganondorf through angered eyes. His best friend's words had helped him a lot, and it almost gave him a power boost in a way. The encouragement from a true friend was the best thing Mirren could get at that point, and he was receiving it fully, it truly helped.  
  
He sneered at Shadow Ganondorf, and got in a battle position. He screamed in fury, and charged at him. With his hands grasping the Goddesses' Sword, Mirren was ready to attack Shadow Ganondorf. The anger, hatred, and rage inside of him were building up, but it wasn't totally triggered. But even with the disadvantage, he still jumped at him, and went for a great stab to Shadow Ganondorf's neck.  
  
The Scourge of Hyrule grinned evilly and simply held his hand out. As the blade came closer and closer to his neck, he could only laugh quietly. Soon the sacred sword was only inches from his unprotected neck, but it suddenly stopped just before it hit. Mirren's jaw just dropped as he saw Shadow Ganondorf grasp the incredible blade and not even flinch any pain. He couldn't believe he was clutching one of the most powerful swords ever, and showed no expression of pain whatsoever.  
  
"My God." whispered Malon, "he's just such an incredible thing, how can he do that?" Shadow Ganondorf smiled diabolically at the awe struck Mirren and lifted his great blade in the air. He soon brought it down, and did a terrible vertical slash across Mirren's body. He screamed in pain and agony as he felt the sword cut right through his armor and slice his skin wide open.  
  
He flew over by the windows once again and landed hard on the floor. He just screamed in pain as he clutched his upper chest (which was the main part to be hit). He felt the cut right on his skin, and also felt his blood now on his hands. He rived in pain as everyone watched in horror. Shadow Ganondorf took a liking to this and turned to them.  
  
"How does it feel fools?" he began, "how does it feel to see the only one who can save you begin to die right before your eyes? It must hurt all of you to see your friend there just rive in pain from that attack. How does it feel Zelda, to see the boy you've trusted so much just fight a losing battle? The boy who you almost consider your own little brother? It's painful isn't it? Well you deserve it, and you and that brat and everyone else here will suffer; just like Link." Shadow Ganondorf then grinned wickedly before he let out one of the most evil laughs ever. Tears just poured from Zelda's eyes as she thought of her dead loved one...Link. The man she'd love for such a time, the man who saved her from Ganondorf four years ago, the man who had always been there for her. And the worst was that she had never even been able to tell him she loved him.  
  
She then just lost it and wept terribly. Shadow Ganondorf still laughed wickedly as he saw Zelda just emotionally suffer so much. Mirren slowly got up and saw everything. He saw Shadow Ganondorf laughing so evilly, and Zelda crying. His eyes lit up in rage and he was fully up. He gritted his teeth as he held the Goddesses' Sword upright, and he just glared at Shadow Ganondorf with the most enraged eyes ever. Shadow Ganondorf noticed this and stopped laughing as he saw the enraged Mirren.  
  
"You've just destroyed my life enough Ganondorf!" he yelled, "You took my best friends and loved ones from me and held them captive here until I came to fight you! You killed my older brother and are making my other living friends suffer! I'm gonna make you pay!!!!" Mirren then screamed in rage as he pointed his sword at Shadow Ganondorf. He yelled even more, and shot the beam of energy from it.  
  
It came flying from the sacred sword and soared towards Shadow Ganondorf. Even though he was really just a few seconds from death, he grinned diabolically. He threw his blade away, and held out both arms. He charged up a great dark energy bolt, and fired it at the oncoming beam with a yell of fury. The two great powers crashed against each other, and sent tons of wind flying everywhere. It was right now an energy grapple between Mirren and Shadow Ganondorf.  
  
They both yelled in power and fury as they pushed more power into their blasts. There was a great deal of illumination and everyone watching could seriously feel the power from both blasts.  
  
"Good God! How much power is that!?" yelled Jarlis.  
  
"A heck of a lot kid, those two are using their greatest power right now" answered Din, "they're using up all of their power right now on these final blasts. This'll be the decider of the battle. Whoever can overcome his foe's attack will have the necessary chance to go in for the final blow and finish the battle. We can only hope Mirren succeeds." Everyone listened to the somewhat grim words of the Goddess of Power and turned to see the struggle. They watched and hoped that Mirren ~would~ win.  
  
But unfortunately, Mirren was already weak, and was getting tired from his attack. Shadow Ganondorf was at full power, and was pushing in more power to his dark energy bolt by the second. His attack began pushing harder against Mirren's, and it slowly began pushing it back to Mirren. He laughed evilly as he watched his attack overcome Mirren's and slowly make its way to him.  
  
"Ha! I told you boy! There is no way to defeat me!" he yelled in a taunting way, "I'm much too powerful for you! And I'd surely overcome your attack in this stage of power, but I'd rather see you die right here, right now!" Suddenly, the Triforce of Power appeared on the back of his hand, and everyone (including Mirren) gasped in shock. Their jaws hung down as they saw it glow; Mirren was certainly done for. "With the Triforce of Power giving me the most energy I've ever had, I can finally kill you! Take this kid!!" Shadow Ganondorf then yelled as he felt the power flow through his veins. His bolt then just instantly began crashing through Mirren's attack; and it was only seconds from killing him. Mirren knew he was done for, and closed his eyes ready to die. But when he closed them; he heard a familiar voice.  
  
~"Mirren, it's me Farore. I'm obviously talking through you mentally, but that's not the point. Listen, you must get a power boost right now, or you'll die and everything you've fought for will be for nothing. Increase that rage; use it to its full potential. Think of Link, think or all your friends, think of every living thing in Hyrule, think of Zelda. You wouldn't let her die; would you?"~  
  
Mirren instantly opened his eyes and in a split second, thought of everything. His eyes looked even more enraged as he just screamed even louder than ever before as he unleashed his great power. Everyone gasped in shock as a glow of golden light surrounded his body, and he held up his hand with the back of it facing everyone and Shadow Ganondorf. He yelled in fury, and the upside-down triangle appeared on it. Everyone just froze in shock, especially Shadow Ganondorf.  
  
"No way" he whispered in shock and fear, "he actually has a piece of the Triforce."  
  
"You better believe it Ganondorf!" shouted Nayru, "when you had went to his village all those years ago looking for the Triforce, you had found a piece of it within him as he killed you and Emralda. Have you ever noticed the missing triangle in the Triforce? That's because we gave it to Mirren, and it's the most powerful piece of the Triforce. It is a combination of power, wisdom, and courage. We three Goddesses put each of our powers in it; it is more powerful than all the others combined. Mirren holds none other than the legendary; Triforce of Justice!"  
  
Everyone just froze in shock as Shadow Ganondorf just went into a trance of fear; he knew his life was over. Mirren then screamed even louder and unleashed all of his power. The floor beneath him split open, and all the windows just shattered into thousands of pieces. He then unleashed his great energy blast, and he sent it flying at Shadow Ganondorf. The beam of energy flew straight through Shadow Ganondorf's energy bolt, and he just watched helplessly as it got closer.  
  
It soon got through the whole energy bolt, and hit him head on. It exploded on his body and annihilated him with its great energy. He roared in pain and just hung helplessly in the air as it rocked his body. As it surrounded him and pounded him with power, the Goddesses' Sword began glowing, and Mirren charged straight at Shadow Ganondorf screaming in rage. He jumped straight at him, and pulled the sword back. Shadow Ganondorf yelled in fear as Mirren got closer. Mirren then pushed the sword forward; and stabbed him straight through the heart. He screamed in agony as he felt the sacred blade pierce his dark, evil heart. He felt its sacred, and great power finish off the remaining life in him, and he knew he had been killed. Mirren pulled the sword back, and revealed a great gash in Shadow Ganondorf's chest. It was covered in blood, and slowly Shadow Ganondorf began to disappear. But even as this, he managed to speak in a quiet, shocked tone of voice.  
  
"No.I've lost. I've lost to Mirren, a child. I've lost to a boy who holds the most powerful piece of the Triforce ever. I've been defeated, along with my sister. I've been defeated by this child, the most powerful warrior in Hyrule. Someday Mirren, me and Emralda will come back and get our revenge!" Shadow Ganondorf's body then fully disappeared in a flash of black light. Everyone turned away for a moment, before finally looking back to see Mirren standing as he breathed heavily from his pain and great fatigue. He still held the Goddesses' Sword in hand, and the Triforce of Justice still glowed on his hand. He slowly lifted his head up, and smiled as he gave them a thumb up. They all smiled with relief and joy as their chains disappeared and they floated down to the ground. They all looked at Mirren and their faces were filled with happiness. After all of what happened, he had finally defeat Ganondorf and Emralda. He was victorious. 


	18. Link's Little Brother Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
As he rested on the Goddesses' Sword, everyone celebrated. Faria ran over to Mirren and hugged her best friend. Mirren smiled at her at he hugged her right back. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes as she smiled.  
  
"I'm so glad you're alive, I thought you were going to die" she said. Mirren took his finger and wiped the tears that began to roll down Faria's face.  
  
"I'd never leave you guys, even when a battle got as intense as that" he replied with a smile. She smiled back as she stopped crying. He let her go as Jarlis walked up to him.  
  
"Nice job Mirren, just as always" he complimented with a smile. Mirren smiled back at his lifelong pal.  
  
"Thanks bud, you kept me goin' the whole time, I wouldn't have done it without you" Mirren replied. They both smiled and hit each other's fist. Mirren then noticed Taursus and Mardera. "Good ta see ya both" he said. They both smiled back.  
  
"Same here" replied Taursus.  
  
"Nice job kid, you did great" said Mardera. Mirren smiled at two of his best friends. He looked at them happily until he saw Artra just trot over to him. He laughed a little and walked to his pony. She snuggled up right next to him as he stroked her black mane. She closed her eyes as she seemed to smile. He looked down at his favorite pony and smiled also. Malon then walked over to him and knelt down next to him and Artra.  
  
"I was so afraid for you Mirren, and I'm sure that Artra was too, great job" she said with a smile. Mirren looked up at her and smiled back. She then threw her arms around him and hugged him. Mirren stopped petting Artra for a moment and hugged his friend back. Everyone smiled as suddenly Mirren heard something behind him.  
  
"Isn't that funny, Mirren gettin' all the girls" a familiar voice said. Mirren looked a little confused and let go of Malon. He turned around, and his jaw just dropped in shock.  
  
There standing; was Link with a grin on his face. Everyone gasped in shock, and Zelda also froze in surprise. She put her hand on her mouth as her eyes widened. She and Mirren were just shocked by what they saw. Link grinned again at them both. "What's the matter guys, you really didn't think I'd just die would you?" he asked. Mirren and Zelda still looked shocked for a few more moments before their faces finally lit up with joy as tears formed in their eyes. They both ran at Link, and Mirren just jumped at his older brother and as Zelda ran into his arms.  
  
Link caught Mirren with one arm, and held Zelda in the other. Zelda laid her head on Link's upper left chest as Mirren buried his face in his right shoulder. They both cried in happiness as Link knelt down to hold them both better. They both kept doing this until Link said something.  
  
"Come on guys, don't cry, I don't wanna see my two favorite people cry like this just over me!" he said with a smile. Mirren and Zelda pretty much listened to him and stopped crying. They looked up at him through reddened eyes and just smiled. Link held them both close as the Sages suddenly appeared in the room. They all smiled at the three and watched as Link hugged his best friends. They all stopped after a few more moments before getting up and looking at the Sages.  
  
"Well Mirren, you did it, you defeated Ganondorf and Emralda and saved your friends, I knew you could" said Rauru, "nice job." Mirren smiled at him and nodded as he wiped away the rest of his tears. Zelda then wiped away her tears and looked at Mirren.  
  
"Yes, I almost forgot to congratulate you Mirren, great job, and thanks" she said with a smile. She then knelt down next to him and gave him the biggest hug ever. Mirren felt light hearted and also felt that fuzzy feeling again inside of him as Zelda hugged him.  
  
Farore stood with her arms crossed as they she smiled. It was obvious she was happy, but Din knew she was smiling about something else.  
  
"Hey, what's up with you Farore?" she asked. Farore didn't look at Din, but still answer as she saw Zelda hug Mirren.  
  
"It just kinda makes me think to think I actually said me and Mirren are like mother and son, and I was wrong" she answered, "we may seem like family, but we're not that close. It's Zelda who has the most motherly love for him, not me, and I know that's how it's been, and that's how it's always gonna be." Din smirked.  
  
"How does it feel to actually make a mistake when you're a Goddess?" she asked sounding mockingly but humorously. Farore laughed.  
  
"Come on, you don't have to rub it in on me!" she replied. They both laughed, and Link rolled his eyes.  
  
"Man, this kid gets more girls than I even did! Three hugs in like ten minutes!" he exclaimed. Everyone laughed as Zelda let go of her hug, she and Mirren also laughed.  
  
"Oh shut up!" Mirren said back with a laugh. Everyone laughed some more, especially Malon, Faria, and Zelda. They all then smiled and began talking amongst each other as Link and Zelda walked over and began talking with the Sages.  
  
The first thing Link did was go to Ruto. He explained to her the best he could of why he accidentally kissed her in Zora's Fountain. He told her that Mirren had knocked him into her, and that he never meant to kiss her. She was very mad with Link's words, and just stomped off in a pout. Link rubbed his head and kind of laughed in embarrassment.  
  
"Well, it's better than her loving me." he said to himself.  
  
Goldenfire finally woke up and looked around for Mirren. The second he saw him, he flew over to him and landed right next to his master.  
  
"Hey bud!" exclaimed Mirren as he began stroking his neck. The three Goddesses smiled and began walking over to Mirren. They over to him, and he finally noticed them.  
  
"Hey" he said with a smile. They all smiled even more and knelt down next to him.  
  
"Nice job Mirren, we knew you could do it, didn't expect that whole Triforce of Justice thing did you?" Farore asked with a grin. Mirren laughed a little.  
  
"I guess you could say I was shocked!" he said still laughing a little. Nayru smiled.  
  
"Great job, you defeated them and finally saved all of your friends. Hey, you even got a hug from Zelda." Mirren laughed again and blushed a little.  
  
"I guess everything worked out fine, and I promise to tell her, for you three" he spoke. Mirren then remembered the Goddesses' Sword. He pulled it out from his scabbard and held it. "And here, thanks for this thing, it came in handy" he said. Din smiled at him and put her hand out. Mirren looked at her a little surprised.  
  
"Don't give it back to us Mirren, it's yours now" she replied, "you fought well with it, and you definitely deserve to keep it. Besides, none of us will use it!" She laughed a little as Mirren smiled at the Goddess of Power. He put the blade away as he smiled at all three of them.  
  
"Thank you all for everything; you guys are the best" he said. They all smiled back at him as they all hugged him. He hugged them back, and it was just one big group hug.  
  
A little while later, everyone was just about to go. The Sages and Goddesses would teleport Mirren and the others back to Hyrule Castle, and then go back to the Chamber of Sages and the sacred realm. But they first teleported Malon and Artra back to the ranch. Malon had told them that it'd best if she went back there and told Talon about everything and let him know she was safe, since he was most definitely worried about her. Once she and Artra were gone, Mirren, Link, Zelda, Faria, Mardera, Jarlis, Taursus, and Goldenfire all stood next to each other as the Sages and Goddesses used their powers. They were all lifted up into the air and began glowing with a blue light. They all smiled at the Sages and Goddesses, but Mirren especially smiled at the Goddesses. They were truly his greatest allies in this battle, and three new best friends. They smiled back at him; and teleported the group back home to Hyrule Castle.  
  
Everyone appeared right in the courtyards of the castle. They first appeared above the ground, and the slowly floated down. The glowing blue light around them stopped, and they were on their own. Goldenfire flew back off into the sky, and Taursus, Mardera, Jarlis, Faria, and Zelda all went into the castle to relax from the whole ordeal which had just happened only a couple hours ago. Only Link and Mirren were now outside.  
  
"Well bro, you did great, ya saved us all, how does it feel to be the second great hero of Hyrule?" Link asked with a smile. Mirren laughed a little.  
  
"Pretty good, but I'm only happy that I just saved all of you guys, and I'm pretty darn shocked that I hold the Triforce of Justice!" Mirren replied. Link now laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I wasn't totally conscious, but I was able to see how you killed Shadow Ganondorf and used the Triforce of Justice, that was pretty darn cool" Link said back. He smiled at Mirren, and he smiled back at Link. "And again you got a hug from Zelda you little ladies' man!" Link elbowed Mirren in the arm as he grinned and as Mirren laughed. "Yeah, and she told me she thinks you're cute, man she likes you Mirren!" Mirren laughed even more as he pushed Link's arm away.  
  
"Oh shut up bro!" he said as he still laughed. Link laughed too and soon the two brothers were just in endless laughter of the whole thing with Zelda. They kept on laughing for a few more moments before Link said something.  
  
"Yeah, and ya also got hugged by Malon!" he exclaimed, "man Mirren you're just a..." Suddenly Link's face just froze as his eyes widened and his mouth just dropped. Mirren looked at him a little confused and wondered what the heck was wrong with Link.  
  
"Hey bro, you okay?" he asked waving his hand in front of Link's eyes, "what's up?" Link finally spoke.  
  
"I just remembered Malon" he answered, "I always thought she had a crush on me, and I still haven't told Zelda I love her. Mirren this is bad! What do I do!? I mean, I love Zelda, but if Malon likes me; what the heck do I do!? I don't wanna hurt her feelings, but I don't really love her; I like Zelda!" Link then looked very nervous and worried. He began pacing around as Mirren still looked at him a little confused.  
  
"You mean, you didn't tell Zelda yet?" he asked. Link turned to him and nodded.  
  
"No, the night I was going to, Dark Link came by, I was just about to tell her before he busted through the window and interrupted him!" he answered.  
  
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh boy" Mirren replied, "well, I don't think I can help ya with romance on this one bro, sorry. Besides, I wanna go see Artra before the day's over. I wanna make sure her and Malon are doin' alright." Mirren then took out his redwood ocarina and played Goldenfire's melody. Soon, Goldenfire came flying down from the sky once again, and Mirren got on. As he flew away, he waved to his worried brother.  
  
"See ya bro! And good luck!" he yelled. Mirren then flew off into the setting sun as Link thought desperately of what to do.  
  
Mirren quickly and swiftly flew Goldenfire through the air as he watched the orange-red sun just sink in the horizon. He knew it was getting late, so the horses were most definitely in the stables by now. This meant he wouldn't be able to ride Artra, but he really didn't care about that. He just wanted to say hi to Malon and make sure the both of them were safe.  
  
He soon landed, and let Goldenfire fly off. He walked into the ranch, and as predicted, saw no horses on the track. He began walking in and hoping to see some sign of Malon. He looked around for a moment before Ingo stepped out of the barn.  
  
"Oh, you're Mirren aren't ya?" he asked, "whata want?" Mirren knew it was Ingo even though he had never met him, and answered his question.  
  
"I was lookin' for Malon, I wanted ta make sure she and Artra got back safely" he answered. Ingo then kind of grinned.  
  
"Ooooooooh, so ya wanted ta see Malon huh?" he began talking in a taunting way, "what is she, yer girlfriend? You like her don't ya kid?" Mirren's eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth slightly.  
  
"~What~ is it with big nosed morons thinking I have a ~crush~ on ~Malon~?" he asked. Ingo's widened in shock from Mirren's insult.  
  
"What!? How dare you say that!" he exclaimed, "ya know, fer yer rude attitude, I'm not tellin' ya where she is ya punk!" Suddenly Talon stuck his head out the window.  
  
"She's over by that tower where we keep the milk Mirren, she's takin' inventory, but she can take a break, she'll be glad ta see ya!" he yelled. Mirren looked up at Talon and smiled as he waved to him.  
  
"Thanks Talon!" he yelled back, and began running over to the milk tower. Ingo gritted his teeth as his face went red.  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!!!????" he yelled as he looked up at Talon. Talon narrowed his eyes a little.  
  
"'Cause you were a jerk to that kid, him and Malon are just friends, and he's right.you do have a big nose! Get ta work!" he shouted. Talon then pulled his head away and closed the window.  
  
Mirren ran past the track and through the open area of the ranch. He soon got to the door, and opened it. He stepped inside, and saw Malon counting some bottles and writing on a note pad. She turned around, and saw Mirren standing there with a smile. Her face lit up.  
  
"Hey Mirren!" she exclaimed, "what brings you here?" Mirren then began walking over to her.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you and Artra got back alright, and to see if everything was fine here" he answered. Malon smiled.  
  
"Well thanks for being so considerate of your friends, we're fine, thanks for everything" she replied. Mirren smiled and nodded.  
  
"No problem" he replied. Malon smiled at him again and put her notepad down. She pulled one of the crates over a little and sat down on it.  
  
"Sit down" she said. Mirren nodded and did as she said. He smiled sat down right next to her. "So, anything happen before you came here?" she asked, "I mean after you left with everyone else from Emralda's citadel" Mirren thought for a second, and could only think of the thing with Link talking about Malon and Zelda. He really didn't want to blab anything to her about Link's worry, so he just replied "No, nothin' really" Malon laughed a little as Mirren remembered Artra.  
  
"Hey, how's Artra doin'?" he asked. Malon laughed a little more.  
  
"She's resting right now" she answered, "a few laps of water, some mouthfuls of oats, and she was asleep on one of the piles of hay!" Mirren laughed a little too now.  
  
"I don't blame her for being tired" he said, "that must've been hard for her being captured and all." Mirren looked down for a moment and thought of how bad everything really was. Even though it hurt her to think of it, Malon smiled, and put her hand on Mirren's shoulder.  
  
"But everything worked out when you came, you did great" she spoke. Mirren stopped thinking of that and looked up at Malon. He now smiled a little.  
  
"Thanks" he whispered, "it wasn't easy, but I'd do anything for my friends" Malon now grinned a little.  
  
"Especially for-~Zelda~." she whispered. Instantly, Mirren's eyes widened and his face went pale. Sweat began to form on his forehead, and a million thoughts rushed through his head. He looked up at her again with his shocked and kind of embarrassed face.  
  
"How.how in the world.did you know?" he asked. Malon laughed a little.  
  
"Well, I kinda had a feeling when I saw your face when she hugged you, that kinda gave it away for me, but I don't think anyone else noticed" she answered. Mirren gulped in worry and looked away embarrassed. Malon laughed again and put her arm around his shoulders. "But that's no reason to be embarrassed" she began, "we all get those little crushes, love is inevitable for most people, and you're one of them." Mirren looked back at her.  
  
"Yeah, but this love is with a girl who's ten years older than me." he said. Malon smiled at him.  
  
"That's no reason why she'd never like you Mirren" she replied, "I mean, look at how hard and how much she hugged you back there. She didn't do that just because you saved her, but because she likes you a lot Mirren. Sure, you could never date her or anything, but that doesn't mean she'll never like you as much as she really does. It's like you're her little brother, considering she and Link are such great friends. I know she already likes you Mirren, and I even heard her say all of that." Mirren blushed a little and looked away in embarrassment. Malon held him a little closer and looked down at him smiling even more. "Mirren, she already thinks you're kind, brave, sweet, and cute, and she'll like you even more if you tell her" she spoke, "Zelda will understand, and knowing the Zelda I know, she won't care at all. In fact, if you tell her, I'll bet you'll get a kiss by the end of the night." Mirren's face reddened even more. He gulped again, and Malon laughed.  
  
"And I also believe that if she likes you the way you are now, and you stay that way, you might get another one someday." Mirren's face slowly went back to its normal color as Malon's words helped him. Everything she had been saying was true, and he was very grateful of what she was doing; he was really helped by her. He looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"Thanks Malon" he whispered. Malon smiled again.  
  
"No problem" she replied. The two friends smiled at each other for a few more moments before Mirren hopped off the crate and realized he had better get back to the castle.  
  
"Well, it's getting' late, so I better go back soon, I don't want anyone worryin' about me" he said, "I'll stop by a couple by in a couple days, so look for me." Malon smiled and nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you then" she replied. Mirren smiled back and nodded to her. He turned around, and was ready to leave the tower before the door opened and a young Hylian man walked in. He was carrying two baskets of bottled milk. He had shorter, black hair, a dark red tunic and brown pants similar to Mirren's. Mirren was surprised at this man and looked a little confused. He was going to ask him who he was, but the asked him first.  
  
"Hey, who are you?" the young man asked pointing at Mirren.  
  
"I'm Mirren" he answered, "I'm a friend of Malon's, who are you?" Malon got up and walked over to Mirren.  
  
"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you" she began, "a while ago, I met Teerlis in Terlon Forest. He had once worked on another ranch, and wanted to know if he could work here. My dad liked him, so he hired him. You didn't see him the first time you came because he had went out a day before to get some new tools for the ranch. He was gone quite a while, but he just returned today. I guess you could say.well, we're kinda girlfriend and boyfriend." Malon then smiled and Teerlis put his hand on Mirren's shoulder.  
  
"Thanks for savin' her kid, I owe ya one" he said. Mirren and Malon both let out a laugh. Teerlis's words just really humored them a lot. They kept on laughing for a few more seconds before Mirren suddenly stopped. He thought about how Link was so worried that Malon liked him, and just exclaimed "Oh crud!" Malon and Teerlis were a little surprised at what Mirren just did.  
  
"You okay Mirren?" asked Malon. Mirren instantly looked up at her worried.  
  
"Malon, we got bad news!" he replied, "Link has a crush on Zelda, and he really wants to tell her how he feels also, that's another reason why I was so reluctant to tell her too and........oh forget that! The point is-that Link thinks ~you~ have a ~crush~ on him, that's why he still hasn't told Zelda yet! And unless he finds out soon; he's gonna do something ~really~ stupid and ~really~ embarrassing!!!" Malon's mouth just kind of dropped for a second as she looked very surprised at Mirren's little story. She soon began rubbing her chin before she thought of something.  
  
"I've got it!" she exclaimed. She then knelt down next to Mirren and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mirren, could you go and tell Link everything. for me?" she asked with a smile. Mirren smiled back and nodded.  
  
"No problem Malon!" he replied, "I'll get right on it!" Malon smiled at Mirren and gave him another hug.  
  
"Thanks Mirren; you're the best!" Mirren smiled and laughed a little before he said goodbye to her and Teerlis and left the tower to go back to Hyrule Castle. Malon smiled before Terrlis walked over to her with a grin.  
  
"What was that big hug all about Malon?" he asked. Malon looked back at him and laughed.  
  
"Oh come on you!" she exclaimed slapping his arm a little, "it was just a hug! We're just friends, and a little hug isn't anything! You're not jealous; are you?" Malon now kind of grinned as Teerlis laughed.  
  
Mirren had called upon Goldenfire the second he left the ranch. He quickly flew Goldenfire back to the castle ready to tell Link the whole scoop.  
  
"Oh man" he said to himself, "what a day this has been! First I have the biggest battle of my life with Emralda and Ganondorf, then I find out I have the Triforce of Justice, I come back home and Link is worried as heck, and now I'm being a message boy!" Mirren laughed as he thought of everything and soon landed outside the castle. He hopped off Goldenfire and let him fly away. He looked around for Link, and soon saw him with Epona. He ran over to him and was ready to tell him everything.  
  
"Hey bro I've got some." he began before Link interrupted him.  
  
"Sorry Mirren, but I gotta get to Lon Lon Ranch, I've got to tell Malon tonight how I feel about Zelda and not her, and I just hope she doesn't really like me." Mirren was a little angry from Link's interruption, but still managed to smile from the thought of telling him everything.  
  
"But bro I talked to her and." he said before Link once again interrupted him.  
  
"I can't talk Mirren I gotta go now" he spoke. Mirren's eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth.  
  
"But bro I found out." he yelled before Link interrupted him for the third time.  
  
"No time for talk Mirren, I've gotta get this off my chest and now!" He then got on Epona and began riding away. Mirren just stood there sneering at Link through annoyed and irritated eyes at the fact that Link wouldn't listen to what would make him feel better. He then just smacked his forehead in frustration.  
  
"Link, I couldn't have asked for a better older brother........but your mind is just incomprehensible." he muttered to himself. He soon pulled out his ocarina and again called for Goldenfire. After a few moments, the great golden dragon flew down next to him. Mirren instantly got on him and began flying back to Lon Lon Ranch in hope he'd save his brother from complete humiliation in front of Teerlis and Malon.  
  
Link was riding Epona as fast as he could. He wanted to tell Zelda he loved her before the end of the night, and he would get it done even quicker if he told Malon he didn't love her right now. He kicked Epona a little, and went even faster. The great brown stallion burned across Hyrule Field and they soon entered the ranch. Link rode in saw Malon walking into the milk tower. He kicked Epona a little more and he rode her to her limit all the way across the ranch to the tower. He rode past the gates, the farm house, and the track at full speed. He felt the wind rush right past him as he just thought of finally getting all of this off his mind. He came to the door, and jumped off immediately.  
  
He opened the door, and rushed in to see Malon putting away some milk by herself. She turned around, and was somewhat surprised to see Link.  
  
"Oh, it's you Link." she said before Link ran up to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and stared her straight in the eye.  
  
"Malon, I need to ask you something, it's very important." he began before Malon interrupted him.  
  
"Link, Mirren told me everything, I don't have a crush on you" she replied. Link's eyes just bugged out and his jaw dropped. He just couldn't believe she knew what he was thinking! He backed off a little, but still looked at her.  
  
"How.how did you know I was gonna ask you that?" he asked pointing his index finger at her. Malon was about to answer his question before Mirren suddenly busted through the door.  
  
"Link I told her already! You don't have to ask her, she doesn't have a crush on you!" he yelled. Link turned around to Mirren.  
  
"I know that already!" he yelled back, "and why didn't you tell me any of this before if you knew it!" Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"I was trying to tell you.but you just had to be the jerky person that you are and not pay any attention to your own little brother!!!!!" he shouted back at him. As Mirren just glared at him, Link's mouth dropped again and he looked a little ashamed. He smacked his forehead and shook his head.  
  
"Thank you short attention span!" he yelled. Mirren crossed his arms and looked away.  
  
"Tell me somethin' I don't know!" he whispered. Link looked at him and glared before Teerlis suddenly walked in just like before. He opened the door, and just stared at Link, and Link did the same for him. He just looked at Teerlis and looked absolutely flummoxed.  
  
"Who's this!?" he yelled looking at Malon and pointing at Teerlis. Malon laughed, and soon Mirren and Teerlis followed. They all laughed and laughed as Link just stood there watching them surprised and annoyed with their crazy antics. "I'm serious!" he shouted again. Teerlis and Mirren kept on laughing, but Malon stopped to explain everything to Link.  
  
"Okay, it's like this Link." she began, "I had always liked you as a friend, but never did I ever have a crush on you. Now I always did want a man to come sweep me off my feet. Well luckily for you, you weren't the one. But I guess when I and Teerlis here met; we kinda just fell in love. Don't worry about me Link, I don't love you, so you can go and tell Zelda how much you love her." Malon smiled now as Link looked a little embarrassed, but happy for the moment. They both then laughed as Link looked at Teerlis.  
  
"I'm glad to have met you Teerlis" he said, "please take good care of Malon, we've been friends since we were ten, and we still are." Teerlis smiled and nodded.  
  
"I promise Link" he replied, "I'll always take care of her and love her; and good luck with Zelda, I hope everything works out with you two also." They both smiled and shook each other's hands as Malon walked over to Mirren. She knelt down next to him and put her mouth next to his ear.  
  
"And don't worry about Link liking Zelda also Mirren, she'll still like you also, I can promise that" she whispered. Mirren looked at her, and looked a little worried.  
  
"Ya sure?" he asked. Malon nodded.  
  
"You bet Mirren" she replied, "Link may be the perfect guy and age for her, but he doesn't have that sweetness and cuteness of a kid like you." Mirren kind of blushed and smiled.  
  
"Thanks Malon" he whispered back. She smiled back at him and got up as Link finished talking with Teerlis. He walked over to Malon and Mirren, and smiled at Malon.  
  
"Well Malon, good luck also, and wish me luck too!" he said. Malon laughed.  
  
"No problem Link" she replied. The two laughed and laughed for a few moments until suddenly Link stopped and looked down at Mirren. He glared at him and kind of sneered.  
  
"Wait a minute" he began, "how in the world did Malon know all of this stuff? You told her didn't you Mirren!?" Mirren's eyes widened as he slowly backed away laughing nervously.  
  
"Well I did kinda.but it was for your..it was gonna help you...." he stuttered, "oh forget it I'm outta here before I get beat up again!" He then ran right out of the tower as Link chased him yelling threats of all sorts. Malon laughed as she watched Link with his arms outstretched chasing with anger in his eyes and as Mirren just ran for his dear life with fear on his face.  
  
"Those two are the best." she said to herself in her head.  
  
About an hour later back at Hyrule Castle, Zelda was in the great hall by herself relaxing. Link and Mirren worked everything out and were back to their normal selves (not the ones where one was ready to kill the other). They were both outside one of the doors, and even though Link wanted to tell Zelda he loved her so much, he was still rather worried.  
  
"Oh man how am I gonna do this!?" he spoke, "I'm gonna make a fool of myself! What if she doesn't like me!? Oh man I can't do this I'm outta here!" He then began walking away down the hall before Mirren stepped in front of him with his hand outstretched. His eyes were narrow with seriousness.  
  
"Oooooooohhhhhhhh no bro" he began, "I didn't play cupid this whole time just so you could wimp out and be a coward. Link, you gotta tell her, I have a good feeling she likes you too. One should never keep love a secret for such a time, you gotta tell him or her how you feel, or everything could be ruined!" Link was surprised at Mirren's words. Never had he heard such great and motivating ones, especially coming from a kid!  
  
"Hey, how the heck do you know so much about romance advice?" he asked as his own eyes narrowed. Mirren looked down and gritted his teeth. He then just pushed Link suddenly through the door. Link stumbled, and fell right into the great hall. He saw Mirren just close the door, and was ready to break it down before he realized Zelda had noticed him. She looked a little surprised and confused, and Link just laughed nervously as he got up.  
  
"Oh hey Zelda!" he said, "What's goin' on?" Zelda now just smiled.  
  
"Oh nothing" she answered, "just resting from everything today with Ganondorf and Emralda." Link smiled back a little and walked over to her. He smiled nervously again and began sweating bullets. A million thoughts just rushed through his head as he thought of finally telling her he loved her. She looked at confused again.  
  
"Hey Link, are you okay?" she asked. Link then stopped worrying and took a deep breath. He looked at Zelda straight in the eye, and put his hands around hers.  
  
"No Zelda; I'm not" he answered, "The truth is, after all these years with you, after all the great adventures I've had with you, after the four long years I've lived with you here in Hyrule Castle...I've well..fallen in love with you." Zelda looked shocked for a moment as she looked at Link. She was shocked to know he really did love her, and she soon looked away in shame and worry a little.  
  
"Link, believe it or not, I'm also in love with you" she whispered, "I just can't be without you. I think we're destined to be together forever Link. I'm just sorry that I've never told you after all these years. These years of secretly loving you and dreaming of you. Link, I truly love you, and I really do believe we were made to be together all of our lives." Link smiled as he pulled her close.  
  
"Ya know something Zelda? Me too" he replied. She looked up at him, and smiled back. "And even though I've finally told you know, I just wanna tell you that I wouldn't be doing any of this without Mirren. He pushed me all the way to tell you, I guess he was our cupid." They both smiled at each other before they both finally said in unison:  
  
"I truly love you" They both then closed their eyes and kissed each other for the first time ever.  
  
Mirren had watched the whole thing. He turned away and began walking down the hallway to leave them in peace. And even though Link, his older brother, was kissing the girl he too had a crush on; he managed to walk away with a true smile on his face.  
  
About another hour later, Mirren was alone on one of the balconies. He leaned on the railing and looked up into the night sky. The moon was out and giving off a beautiful light blue glow. The thousands and thousands and thousands of stars twinkled in the black night and lit it up a little with their golden shine. He watched them all, and relaxed as he felt the soft, gentle breeze come by. The cool wind touched his face, and blew his brown hair to the right. He smiled as he thought of everything with Link and Zelda, and was truly happy that they were finally together.  
  
As he just rested on the railing and thought of everything, the door to his balcony suddenly opened; and in walked the smiling Zelda. He turned around, and looked a little surprised to see her.  
  
"Hi Mirren" she said softly. Even though Mirren was a little nervous that Zelda was around at the moment, he managed to speak calmly.  
  
"Hey Zelda" he replied. She smiled especially at him and closed the door. She locked it and walked over to him. Mirren watched as Zelda came right next to him and looked up at the sky. He was a little surprised also of what Zelda was doing.  
  
"You like being here watching the night sky, don't you Mirren?" she asked. Mirren nodded as he looked back up at it.  
  
"Yeah, it's just something I like for some reason, it kinda reminds me and makes me think of things" he replied.  
  
"I also like it, it's so relaxing" she said. They both were silent for a moment as Mirren spoke to himself in his head.  
  
"Alright Mirren, this is it. This is the perfect time. You gotta keep your promise to Din, Nayru, and Farore. It's time to tell her; that you love her.." He was about to begin saying everything before Zelda looked down at with a smile.  
  
"I really just have to say thanks for one more thing Mirren." she said. Mirren just stopped and looked a little confused. She could only smile. "Thanks for encouraging Link so much to finally make him tell me he loved me" she spoke, "without you, we'd probably right not be together, and be as happy as we are right now." Mirren smiled.  
  
"It was nothing" he replied, "I had ta help him, he's my bro. And besides, when it comes to true love, it's just something that's gotta be done." Zelda now grinned.  
  
"Like you with me?" she asked somewhat slyly. Mirren's eyes instantly bugged out. He just looked up at her with pure shock on his face as she smiled at him. He just couldn't believe that she knew; and he didn't even tell her yet!  
  
"How.how in the world did you know I." he began before Zelda stopped him.  
  
"You don't need to say it Mirren" she spoke, "I always kinda had a feeling you had a crush on me. It's just something we girls can kinda see in a guy..or a boy in your situation." Mirren now looked away embarrassed. Zelda smiled and knelt down next to him. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he looked back at her.  
  
"Mirren, don't ever feel embarrassed for liking me" she began, "it's nothing you should ever worry about. Believe it or not, I'm glad you have a crush on me. It makes me feel liked, and it's great 'cause I have two guys who like me. Mirren, all those things I've said about you being cute and a sweet kid, are all true. I like you a lot also Mirren. Maybe not as much as you like me or as I like Link, but I feel really close to you. You saved me from Ganondorf and Emralda, you put your life on the line for me Mirren. And I feel even closer with this now." Mirren looked a little more worried and ashamed.  
  
"Yeah, but what about Link?" he asked, "I mean, you two are in love; doesn't a kid like me kinda get in the way?" Zelda laughed a little.  
  
"Mirren, you'll never get in our way; believe me" she replied, "me and Link may be in love, but there's something that you have that Link doesn't...and that's your young heart, your sweetness, and your cuteness." Mirren now blushed, and Zelda smiled even more at him.  
  
"Mirren, let me promise you something" she began, "after all you've done for me, after everything you've done to make my life better; I can't help but like you. Mirren, if you stay as kind, brave, sweet, and cute as you are right now; I promise you'll always be my favorite little guy." Zelda grinned as she said this, and now bent over and kissed him on the forehead. Mirren's eyes widened; and he just couldn't believe that Zelda had just kissed him. She stood up, and looked down at the surprised Mirren. She smiled at him, and he smiled back a little. She put her arm around him, and they both looked up into the night sky. They watched the beautiful dark sky, and as Zelda held him close, Mirren felt like the luckiest kid in Hyrule.  
  
THE END  
  
Ending Author Notes Well, it's finally finished. I hoped you all liked it; I worked really hard on it. You wouldn't believe the countless hours I spent typing up this thing! It's believe it or not 139 pages on microsoft word in 12 font. Man I had so much fun typing this! And there's more! Look for the really long epilogue to it. It's going to be just as great. A little shorter, but still a great Zelda fic, and a great sequel to this. All I'll tell you is that Ganondorf and Emralda will return, and it's going to be Mirren's and Zelda's birthday. Yeah, it'll be awesome when you read it...so look for it! And before I finish, thanks all of you Zelda fans for taking your time to read this!  
LittleLink 


	19. Epilogue Chapter 7: The Onslaught

Chapter 7: The Onslaught  
  
The Sages all floated in their crystal cages in Ganondorf's and Emralda's throne room. They had been trapped for a little while now and had been there for a while also. But Ganondorf and Emralda still didn't show their faces. They were oddly absent, and the Sages were worried. Even Darunia, probably one of the toughest, strongest beings in Hyrule, had fear in his eyes.  
  
Saria just sat weeping in her crystal. She had been taken right from her best friend's grasp, and missed him terribly. She thought of all the Kokiri Children who were probably in complete panic. She had been gone for quite some time, and the worst was that they had no idea whatsoever of what was happening. She worried about what would happen if someone attacked the village. The Children wouldn't stand a chance, without her, they'd be doomed. She now thought of Link, who was now at the risk of being captured by Ganondorf and Emralda since all the Sages were captured. She thought of everything, and kept crying.  
  
Impa was just sitting brooding. She was worried about Zelda, and felt terrible knowing that she couldn't protect her at all. All those years when Zelda was a child, Impa practically took care of her like her mother. Watching over her, putting her to sleep, protecting her from all harm and teaching her the ways of life. She loved Zelda very much, and could never stand to see anything happen to her. She closed her eyes, and a tear dripped out of one. "But I cannot protect her now" she whispered to herself, "right now she's got two people to protect her, and two who are even better than me. A strong man, and a courageous boy. The two who love her, and will make sure at all costs she stays safe......Link and Mirren..."  
  
Ganondorf and Emralda finally entered the room. They were both smiling wickedly, and Emralda was now wearing a different robe other than her royal purple one. It was a dark green, but like before had golden stripes with rubies attached to them. The Sages instantly broke away from their trances and thoughts, and stared at the evil brother and sister. They still only smiled.  
  
"Ahhhh..the Sages trapped within my grasp and at my mercy.." jeered Ganondorf, "this is truly something I've always wanted ever since you six fools trapped me in the Sacred Realm all those years ago when I fought Link and Zelda. Now you're all mine and Emralda's; your powers are ours!!" Ganondorf laughed sinisterly. The Sages looked a little confused.  
  
"I can see you don't understand what my brother just told you.." she began, "but I can elaborate for you. Ya see, we've already captured your powers. On your way here, we took them right then and there. So at this point, you have no powers at all; because I and Ganondorf have them!!!" Impa sneered  
  
"You may have us now you two, but you won't get any of the others!" she shouted, "Link will protect them all from you..and especially Mirren also. They'll make sure no one is captured by you two evil, vile demons!" Emralda smirked.  
  
"That is where you are wrong Impa, Sage of Shadow" she replied, "because not either one of them will be stopping our forces to save any of Mirren's friends and loved ones. And our forces will be incredibly powerful believe me. In fact, we'll be going ourselves! But that isn't our greatest plan; one of Mirren's friends will actually be capturing a couple himself after we posses!" All the Sages gasped. Nabooru gritted her teeth.  
  
"You sick, foul fools." she began, "you're nothing but pure evil you don't deserve to even live! Ganondorf grinned from Nabooru's insult.  
  
"Heh, say what you want, but Mirren won't have the heart to stop the one we're going to posses, and besides, he'll probably lose anyways. And that person will also have the job to kill two of Mirren's best friends. Oh, if you're wondering, that person shall also capture Zelda. Even if Link and Mirren love her and have crushes on her, they'll be no way they can stop her from being captured!" Ganondorf laughed wickedly again and began to walk off. "We must go now Sages" Emralda stated, "We're going to start our plan now. It's past midnight, so it's the day we planned to attack. First we're gonna send our troops out, then we'll posses Mirren's one friend, and then go there ourselves to pick up anything they didn't complete!" Emralda now laughed herself and followed her brother. The Sages just sat thunderstruck at the evil plan they had concocted. They all wee incredibly worried, but Impa looked terrified. Ruto noticed it instantly.  
  
"Impa, what's wrong?" she asked. The other Sages turned to her as Impa began to come around and speak.  
  
"That person they're gonna posses.." she began, "the one who's gonna kill Mirren's two friends and capture Zelda....if it's who I think it is...then Mirren will be literally broken in half..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Everything was quiet at Hyrule Castle. Everyone realized it was past midnight, and that it was technically the day that Emralda and Ganondorf were going to attack. Everyone was in a different place in the castle. Faria and Nepsana were both in the feast hall. Taursus, Jarlis, and Mardera were in the gardens. Zelda was in the throne room. Link was in the great hall, and Mirren was in his room.  
  
Even if they had someone with them, everyone seemed afraid. They were all very worried. They knew how powerful Ganondorf and Emralda were, and that it'd probably be Mirren and Link's greatest challenge to protect everyone. They were all silent. Barely anyone had said everything. There were just no words that anyone could think of that might ease the situation. The moment was tense and fearful; everyone just kept quiet and kept on thinking.  
  
Link stood in the great hall. He had never seemed so serious in his entire life. His eyes were narrow, and his face stern. He looked more fierce and determined rather than scared, but deep down; he was worse than everyone else. He had also never been so fearful in his entire life.  
  
He feared so much for everyone. He feared for Mardera. He feared for Jarlis. He feared for Taursus. He feared for Nepsana. He feared for Faria. He feared for himself. But worst of all, he feared for Zelda and Mirren. Even though he and Zelda had technically broken up, he still had that feeling inside of himself that he should go back to her. He still had that feeling that he loved her.  
  
He feared for Mirren because he remembered how much Mirren suffered the first time when Ganondorf and Emralda took them. He knew Mirren had already suffered seeing the Sages captured and having Goldenfire die right before his eyes. He was still young, he was still a kid, so all of this would be ten times worse than it would be on Link. He hated to ever see his own little brother suffer. He loved him, and even though they had only known each other for a couple months, they felt as close as they would if they had known each other for their entire lives.  
  
He stood there still thinking, and suddenly, he felt some odd urge go through his body. It spread throughout it, and he screamed in pain. It was like nothing he had ever felt, it was such a sensation that you couldn't even describe it. He felt pains all over his body, and it felt like some force was pushing its way into his mind. He clutched his head, and still roared in pain. He fell down to his knees, and kept on screaming.  
  
He couldn't stop it whatever it was, he knew something why trying to take over his body; but unfortunately he couldn't stop it. Slowly, he felt he was losing control of his body, and his blue eyes began to turn into that of blood red. His blonde hair then also changed to a shining silver color, and he suddenly felt a sinister urge within him. The pain stopped, and he got up. He was breathing heavily from exhaustion. A black and purple portal then appeared in front of him as he recuperated. It glowed fiercely, and Ganondorf and Emralda jumped out with sinister smiles on their faces.  
  
"Well my brother, it seems we've correctly possessed Link...perfect!" she exclaimed. Ganondorf laughed wickedly.  
  
"I know Emralda, it is" he added, "now, Link...as your rulers, we want you to go and capture Zelda. If it's necessary, wound her or knock her unconscious. She can be a feisty one at times, but she'll probably just act like the damsel she is and call Mirren for help since you'll be the one capturing her. Take her through a portal and drop her off at our citadel. Once you've done that, return here and kill Faria, your work will be done.." Emralda looked a little confused from her brother's words.  
  
"But Ganondorf, what about Nepsana?" she asked Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"I realized that she's not really that huge of a friend to Mirren, so it's like why waste the time to kill her when we can kill another, closer person to Mirren.." he replied.  
  
"Who will that be?" shed inquired again.  
  
"You'll see soon, I promise" he answered. He then turned back to Link. "Now Link, capture Zelda, and kill Faria. Do you understand the plan?" Link still stared down at the floor for a few seconds before lifting his head up. He had evil glee in his blood red eyes, and a diabolical smile.  
  
"Yes master.." he replied in a devilish voice. The possessed Link then turned and walked away. He left the great hall and began to walk to the throne room to get Zelda. Ganondorf stood smiling wickedly.  
  
"And now...the attack begins..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link walked down the hallways with that same evil look and smile on his face. He was totally unable to break the spell on him, and he was now pure evil. He had taken out the Biggoron's Sword and kept on walking. For the first time ever in his entire life, he actually thought of the pleasure he'd get from scaring Zelda, threatening her life, and capturing her for Ganondorf and Emralda. He smirked at the thought of her frightened and terrified expression on her face, and the fact that there'd be no one to save her. He kept on walking, and he soon came to one of the doors to the throne room. He opened it up, and walked in.  
  
"Zelda.." he said in his devilish voice as usual. Zelda turned from where she was standing, and looked happy in a way to see Link.  
  
"Oh Link...it's.." She was about to say more, but she instantly just froze in shock. She saw Link with the Biggoron's Sword, and also saw his new red eyes and silver hair. She saw his evil face, and slowly began to back off. Her mouth dropped right down from shock, and she looked thunderstruck. "Link...is that you...?" The possessed Link smiled sinisterly.  
  
"It's me Zelda" he replied, "I've been possessed by Ganondorf and Emralda." Zelda gasped as her eyes widened in shock.  
  
"They..what?" she asked. Link seemed to take a liking to Zelda's shock.  
  
"That's right Zelda, I'm evil now, I work for them..." he said. Zelda still looked shocked, but soon shook her head and narrowed her eyes.  
  
"No!" she exclaimed, "this isn't you Link! You're not the Link I know. You may be possessed, and it may be your body..but it's definitely not the Hero of Time that saved me four years ago!" Link smirked and jumped at Zelda. She gasped in shock and fear as he put his hand around her neck. She froze in fear, and just gasped continuously from it. Link smiled.  
  
"They ordered me to capture you and take you to their citadel.." He announced, "and there's no one to stop me.."  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren stood looking out his bedroom window over Hyrule. He felt just as worried as Link, and it was in a way worse since his and Zelda's birthday had the chance to be ruined. They could both be killed, and he knew it. He knew how strong Ganondorf and Emralda now were, and if they captured everyone else, they'd almost be invincible. He knew he had the Triforce of Justice; but what could even it do against three other pieces of the Triforce, all of his friends' powers, and all the Sages powers? He lowered his head as he still worried of everything...but then his eyes instantly bugged out when he saw a legion of monsters marching into Hyrule Castle. He saw Moblins, Monblins, Dinolfos, and Stalfos everywhere. He then knew what was happening.  
  
"They're attacking.." he whispered in shock and fear. He suddenly heard Zelda scream, and he instantly spun around. He could tell by the scream that Zelda was in trouble, and he knew he better get there fast. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I'm coming Zelda!!!!" he yelled, and pulled out the Goddesses' Sword. He bolted out of his room and took off down the hallways to the throne room. "Don't worry Zelda, I'm coming" he said to himself in his head, "and if I don't get there, Link will surly be there to protect you..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Taursus, Jarlis, and Mardera were fighting all the beats that were attacking the castle. Taursus had pulled out his war-hammer and axe, and was battling greatly and fiercely. He jumped at the Stalfos, and began to hack away at the numerous amount. He screamed in rage and slammed his axe into one's shield. It cut it right in half and destroyed the Stalfos's left arm. The skeleton warrior backed off in fright, and Taursus lunged right at him and crushed his skull to bits with his war-hammer. Another then tried to attack him from behind, but in one swift movement, Taursus spun around and threw his axe at it. It cut right through the Stalfos, and it just fell apart.  
  
Mardera was surrounded by numerous Dinolfos, but she was amazing having no trouble at all. A couple had attacked her from the sides, but she simply jumped up and performed and split kick that knocked them both flat. One screeched and jumped at her. It brought its sword down, but parried it with one scimitar, and skewered it with the other. One attacked from behind, but the Gerudo turned around and threw the Dinolfos off her blade. The large lizard warrior smashed into the other, and knocked it out cold. The remaining four then realized they'd get no where attacking one at a time, so they all roared and lunged at her. They each got their blades ready, and were about to slice her into pieces. Unfortunately for them though, Mardera had seen this coming, and quickly found a way to eliminate them. She got in a special stance, and when the Dinolfos got a couple feet away from her, she did a great spin attack. She felt her blades slice through the beasts' skin, and when she stopped, they all lay dead bleeding from their scimitar wounds.  
  
Jarlis had been taking on the Moblins and Moblins the whole time, and also wasn't having much trouble. One Moblin went for a thrust to gore Jarlis through, but Jarlis side-stepped and did a thrust of his own to the Moblin's stomach. The end of his staff dug into his stomach, and the Moblin gasped in pain before lowering his head. Another Moblin rushed at them, and Jarlis charged up an energy shot. He fired it off, and it rocketed the dead Moblin into the other. It smacked right into him, and they both crashed to the ground, shaking it. Yet another Moblin tried his luck to finish off Jarlis, but the boy did an energy slash with his staff, and killed it. He took the moment to rest, but unfortunately it wasn't a good time to do that. At that second, a Monblin had brought his massive war-club onto the ground, and sent a shockwave flying right at Jarlis. It hit him from behind, and knocked him down. He yelled in pain, and the Monblin smiled evilly. He roared, and ran at the downed Jarlis. He raised his club behind his head, and was ready to crush him into a bloody pulp. Jarlis saw this coming though, and was just able to evade the attack. The club smashed into the ground, and for the moment got stuck. The Monblin tried to pull it out in time; but it was too late. Jarlis pointed his staff at the Monblin, and shot an energy blast at it. It soared from the staff, and hit the Monblin directly in the face. He hollowed in pain, and dropped his war-club as he fell to the ground dead.  
  
After a little more fighting, the remaining beasts realized they didn't stand a chance against them, and retreated from the castle. Taursus grinned as he watched them run away, and sighed with relief.  
  
"Well, we got them good" he stated, "at least we were able to drive them off." Mardera smirked.  
  
"Yeah, those guys were sooooo weak" she added. Jarlis nodded, but looked a little more serious.  
  
"That's true, but right now we've got a problem..." Mardera and Taursus now looked the same way.  
  
"Yeah...this means that Ganondorf and Emralda have officially attacked" Taursus whispered.  
  
"And they're going to finally be going after us..." Mardera said. Jarlis now narrowed his eyes and sneered.  
  
"Well I'll tell ya one thing..." he began, "I'm not lettin' a single one of those fools get me!" Suddenly there were two evil laughs heard around them; one male..one female. The three warriors looked a little confused, but turned around. They all instantly froze. It was Ganondorf and Emralda.  
  
"Well isn't this great, two of the people we've planned to capture" stated Ganondorf. Jarlis looked a little confused.  
  
"Two people?" he asked. Emralda grinned and brought her staff up. The crystal-like emerald at the top glowed in power, and she fired a beam of energy from it. It came flying out of the emerald, and soared towards the Taursus and the others. They all gasped as the beam got closer. It then finally found its target; and went right through Jarlis's stomach. He gasped in pain, and his face went pale as his eyes widened in shock. Mardera and Taursus froze, and their mouths both dropped. Jarlis hung in mid-air for a second as the beam slowly faded, and he closed his eyes. He fell to the ground; he was dead. Taursus and Mardera were thunderstruck. They just stood there gazing at Jarlis's dead body as they trembled. Emralda smiled diabolically.  
  
"Like my brother said, two people to capture.." she announced, "you should feel lucky, we're only capturing you now. That kid had to die right now, and there's still one more of Mirren's friends we must kill instead of capture." Taursus and Mardera looked like they had seen a ghost. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"Well fools, have fun at our citadel, and don't worry, your powers will be taken from you on the way there, so when we kill Mirren's other friend and confront him face to face, we'll have your energy added to ours!!!" They were both then trapped by the same crystal prisons that the Sages were captured in. They both looked around in confusion, and pressed against to see what they were. The crystals then floated up into the sky, and the last things Taursus and Mardera saw were the smiling, wicked faces of Ganondorf and Emralda.  
  
"Well, they're gone, and the kid's dead, what should we do now Ganondorf?" asked Emralda. He smirked.  
  
"Let's just wait" he answered, "I mean, Link is probably already at Zelda, and Mirren should get there any moment now. Nepsana and Faria should show up soon, and we can watch Link fight them all. Once he kills Faria, he'll take Zelda to our castle, along with Nepsana. Then we'll confront Mirren and explain all of this. We'll show him his dead friend, and he'll probably break down in tears knowing he's lost his third friend. Then we'll leave him to suffer; that is, unless you want to kill right then and there..." Emralda smiled wickedly.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me...." she replied.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren felt like he had never ran so fast in his life, but he knew it was for one heck of a good reason. By that one scream of Zelda, he knew that there was trouble, and he needed to help her. He gritted his teeth at the thought that Ganondorf and Emraldaing were attacking now, but he kept on running and soon came to the same door where the possessed Link had entered. He busted right through it, and saw Link with his hand around Zelda's neck. He saw her terrified face, and could see that she was trembling. Even though it was his own brother, he screamed in fury and rushed at him from the side. The possessed Link turned just in time to see him, but Mirren still dove at him and rammed his shoulder straight into Link's stomach. He puffed from the immense force of Mirren's ram, and crashed into the ground. His grasp on Zelda's neck was released, and she fell down to her knees. Mirren got up as he looked at his brother with rage in his eyes.  
  
"What the heck do you think you were doing Link...." he said before he froze. He finally noticed the silver hair, the blood red eyes, and the expression of pure evil on his older brother's face. His mouth dropped as he gasped in complete shock. "What...happened to you...?" He asked. Zelda now began to cry a little.  
  
"Ganondorf and Emralda possessed him Mirren!" she yelled, "he has no control over the darkness they put in him, he's evil now!! They're making him kill one of your friends and capture me!" Mirren gasped again, and he slowly backed off as his evil brother got to his feet as he smiled evilly.  
  
"Well said Zelda..." he added, "that right my little brother, they possessed me, and I'm under their control right now. You can't stop me, I'm even more powerful with this evil energy. Shocked I see? I'm not surprised, it must hurt to see your older brother whom you love so much be a devil like now.." Link laughed quietly and wickedly, and Mirren looked thunderstruck.  
  
"No..it's impossible..." he whispered. Link laughed again but louder.  
  
"Well, you certainly are suffering from this" he jeered, "perfect..just as they wanted..." Mirren felt like crying at that point. It hurt him so much to see his brother that way, and it was the same for Zelda, except she already was crying, and was at the risk of being captured by him. Link smiled evilly. "Now my little brother, be a good boy and just let me take Zelda" he commanded, "then I can come back and kill your other friend, then I won't have to hurt you, Ganondorf and Emralda can just deal with you..." Zelda began to tremble from fear again, and she looked as afraid as ever. Mirren suddenly broke out of his trance knowing Zelda was in big trouble, and narrowed his eyes. He grasped the Goddesses' Sword, and got in front of Zelda in a battle stance.  
  
"Come and get her..." he said quietly but scornfully. The possessed Link smirked.  
  
"Hmmm..you really think you can stop me?" he asked cockily, "boy..you're really arrogant my brother. You don't stand a chance against me. I'm much too powerful. Besides, me and Zelda at one time loved each other, and we're still the best of friends, and the good Link probably still loves her, but just won't admit it after they broke up. The same is probably for Zelda. We'd make the perfect couple to do this..." Mirren sneered at him as he moved closer to Zelda. She clutched the back of his turtleneck.  
  
"Please don't let him hurt me Mirren...I'm afraid..." she whispered.  
  
"Don't worry Zelda, I won't let this demon take you" he reassured. Link let out a sinister laugh.  
  
"Heh, well you certainly are determined to protect her Mirren.." he taunted, "You don't.like her, do you?" Mirren was a little nervous inside at the fact that Link was pointing at something that was true, but he just glared at him. Link only grinned. "Because if you did that'd be trouble since her and the good Link still probably like each other, but as said before, are just too afraid..." Tears rolled down Zelda's cheeks, and Mirren narrowed his eyes even more.  
  
"Shut your mouth you fool" he sneered, "I know they broke up and are right now just friends. But if they really still do like each other, that's nothing you shoulder consider your business. It's the Link we know, the one who would never act this evil who might love her. You're just some devil.." Link laughed again. "Well, you're certainly quite a kid" he replied, "but no matter how brave you act right now, no matter how mature you may sound saying things like that, and most of all no matter how much you really want to protect Zelda; I'll still capture her.." Zelda trembled again. And Link got the Biggoron's Sword in position for an attack. Suddenly Nepsana and Faria ran into the throne room, and instantly ran over to Mirren and Zelda.  
  
"What's wrong Mirren?" asked Nepsana. Mirren didn't take his eyes off the possessed Link as he spoke to Nepsana.  
  
"Ganondorf and Emralda have possessed Link, and he's here to capture Zelda and kill one of my friends!" he answered. Nepsans gasped, but Faria just narrowed her eyes.  
  
"I won't let you take my sister!!!" she shouted. Link grinned.  
  
"Oh really?" he asked raising an eyebrow, "well, it looks like I've got a little defense to fight through before I can get to Zelda. Not like it matters though, 'cause I'll kill all you!!!" Mirren gritted his teeth.  
  
"I won't let you do anymore!!!!" he screamed, "I'll stop you and find a way to get rid of you!! I know you're some devil-spirit who's taken over Link's body. He's trapped inside of himself and can't escape your evil clutches! It's not him doing all of this..it's you ya devil!!!!" Mirren looked enraged as ever, and the possessed Link still grinned.  
  
"Very good kid, you're correct" he replied, "I am only a dark spirit, and your brother is trapped. But it doesn't matter still because I now control his body and actions!!!" Mirren screamed in rage and ran at Link, and Nepsand followed with her pike.  
  
Mirren jumped at Link, and performed a jumping slash. Link blocked it with the Biggoron's Sword, and went for a sweep of it to slice Mirren's head off. Mirren saw it just in time, and ducked. At that moment, Mirren dove at him and went for a stab to his side. Link pulled the blade back to him and lowered it just in time to block Mirren's attack. They grappled for a second as Link smiled evilly and as Mirren gritted his teeth. With Link distracted, Nepsana rushed in and did a slash across Link's face with her pike. The possessed Link grunted in pain and was knocked back a few feet. He staggered, and Mirren ran at him. He yelled in rage, and was about to attack before Link suddenly shot a beam of dark energy from the blade. It hit Mirren directly and sent him flying. Nepsana gasped in shock and watched as Mirren soared across the room. Link noticed she wasn't paying attention and ran at her. He lifted the Biggoron's Sword behind his head, and did a vertical slash across her shoulder. She screamed in pain, and was knocked down as her wound opened up and bled. Faria and Zelda gasped in shock. Nepsana groaned in pain, and Link put his blade to her neck.  
  
"I wasn't meant to kill you, there's still another person, but I think Ganondorf and Emralda would be pleased at that. After all..Mirren would certainly be crushed to see you die.." He said. He then lifted the blade up, and just before he was about to bring it down, Zelda and Faria shot their golden energy beams. They both struck him, and he roared in pain as they pounded him with power. The light energy in them burned at his darkness, and weakened him pretty badly. They finally stopped the attacks, and the possessed Link let out one groan of pain before collapsing. He dropped the Biggoron's Sword, and Nepsana crawled away from him taking her pike. Zelda and Faria ran over to her and helped her to her feet.  
  
"Are you okay Nepsana?" asked Faria. She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine" she answered, "my wound isn't that bad." Zelda nodded back to her.  
  
"Okay, now to see Mirren.." She began before Mirren walked up behind them clutching his left arm.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout me Zelda, I'm fine" he said. Faria smiled.  
  
"Good, at least you two aren't seriously hurt" she stated. Link slowly got up as he still grunted in pain.  
  
"Heads up guys, he's coming back..." she announced. Everyone looked to him as he grabbed the Biggoron's Sword. He breathed heavily as he stood on his hands and feet, but he soon got up completely and smiled evilly.  
  
"Nice attack girls" he complimented, "it actually hurt me. You're energy will be great for Ganondorf and Emralda.." Zelda narrowed her eyes.  
  
"We're not going anywhere, yes I'm still afraid, but I've got Mirren to protect me, and Faria and Nepsana to help him" she said. Link smirked.  
  
"You really put a lot of trust into him" he began, "you must really like him. Heh, it'll be great then when I take you through that portal to Ganondorf and Emralda's citadel." Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Even if you're in my brother's body, I'll still do anything to protect Zelda" he spat back, "even if I must seriously hurt him, considering it's not him I'm fighting." Link smirked again.  
  
"Then why don't you stop me from capturing her..." he taunted. Mirren sneered and got in a battle stance.  
  
"You guys stay back, I'm gonna fight him alone" he announced. He then yelled in fury and ran at Link. He went for a vertical slash, but Link blocked it. He went for a cut, but Link also blocked that. He then went for a slice, but Link once again raised the Biggoron's Sword and blocked this. He smiled evilly as they grappled, and he kicked Mirren square in the stomach. Mirren grunted in pain and collapsed to his knees. Everyone else gasped, and Zelda put her hand over her mouth. Link smiled diabolically as Mirren rived in pain and clutched his wounded stomach. Link moved closer as he laughed quietly. Just as he was only a few feet from him, Mirren suddenly sprang up and went for a stab. It was about to dig into Link's chest, but he lifted up the Biggoron's Sword at the last second and blocked it. He grinned evilly, and Mirren sneered but was still amazed at how Link blocked it.  
  
"I bet you didn't expect that to happen" he jeered, "I told you that you couldn't fight me. You're only fighting a losing battle. You should've just let me take Zelda, 'cause you wouldn't be getting hurt like this.." Link then took his right and backhanded Mirren across the face. Mirren grunted in pain and hit the ground hard as his face throbbed. Zelda gasped again as a couple tears formed in her eyes. Link saw it, and took pleasure in seeing it. "Oh, so it hurts you to see Mirren get hurt does it?" he asked mockingly, "well, how do like seeing this?" Link then lifted up his right foot and brought it down onto Mirren's unprotected chest. He screamed in pain, and everyone gasped.  
  
"Mirreeeennnn!!!!" Zelda yelled as tears rolled down her face. Link smiled at how much Zelda was hurt by it, and applied more power and moved his foot around. Mirren yelled in pain again. It felt like rocks being pressed as hard as possible onto his rib cage, and he was for sure he heard a couple crack. Zelda fell down to her knees as she still cried.  
  
"Please...please Link stop!" she yelled, "come on Link! You're hurting your own little brother. Break that devil's grasp off of you!" The possessed Link smirked.  
  
"You can say whatever you want Zelda, but I ain't stoppin', even if he's my brother" he said, and brought his foot up. Everyone watched at that tense moment as Link smiled evilly and once again brought his foot down. It crashed right onto Mirren's rib-cage, and he once again screamed in agony. He felt his ribs break, and he yelled in pain like he had never before.  
  
"Mirren! No!!!" Zelda screamed as even more tears poured from her eyes. Nepsana's eyes lit up with rage, and she had watched enough. She hadn't known him for long, but Mirren was easily one of her best friends. He had saved her from the Moblins, protected her in the battle with Varnash, invited him to Hyrule Castle to live, and considered her his friend before anyone else. She got in a stance and grasped her pike. She looked for a good place to attack, and in an instant charged at Link. She screamed in fury, and pulled her pike back. She lunged at him from the side, and did a thrust into his left leg. The sharp point at the top of her pike drove into his skin, and bloodied it. Link roared in pain, and instantly took his foot off Mirren. He pulled his leg out of the pike, and clutched his bleeding wound with one hand while he still held the Biggoron's Sword with the other. The blood stained his white tights, and he groaned in pain as he knelt down. Nepsana had no sympathy for him. She lunged at him again and was ready for another attack.  
  
"You'll pay for what you did to Mirren!" she screamed, and went for a vertical slash with the battle-axe part of her pike. It came falling down, and seemed like it was about to connect with Link's left shoulder. But suddenly, he lifted up his hand, and blocked the hit. Nepsana gasped, and her mouth dropped. Zelda and Faria were shocked at what they had seen. He had used the Golden Gauntlet part to block the shot so he didn't feel any pain. Link smiled evilly.  
  
"I guess those gauntlets can do more than just give me strength.." He announced. Nepsana froze, and Link pointed the Biggoron's Sword at her. It glowed with a black light, and soon shot a blast of dark energy from it. It hit Nepsana head on, and sent her flying with a yell of pain. She landed hard on the stone floor, and groaned from the hit. Link got up on his feet, and seemed like the wound Nepsana gave him didn't even bother him anymore. "Foolish girl" he said, "never try to kill me..because you'll only walk into your own death.." He then rose up the Biggoron's Sword again, and it began to glow with power. "Say goodbye Nepsana!!!!" He was then about to fire off the blast of dark energy, but suddenly he heard Mirren scream. He turned, and saw Mirren holding the Fire Diamond, and a huge blast of fire was coming straight at him. He froze, and watched helplessly as Mirren yelled from the power surge and as the fire got closer. It soon did, and it struck him directly. It burned his entire body, and now made him scream in pain as he was sent flying across the room. He landed on the ground and rolled a little ways before stopping. He groaned in pain, and still burned a little from the blaze. Mirren lay on his back breathing heavily as he still held the Fire Diamond. Zelda and Faria sighed with relief. Zelda also almost seemed to smile.  
  
~"Good" she said in her head, "that should keep him down for a while."~ She put her hands on her heart and closed her eyes as she said this, but she suddenly heard something. He opened her eyes in a flash, and she and Faria froze. Link was getting up. Faria's mouth dropped.  
  
"No way" she whispered from complete shock, "he's getting right back up..." Zelda couldn't believe it either, and watched in as he got on his feet. He was holding the Biggoron's Sword, and lowered his head as he breathed heavily. But he soon lifted it up and smiled wickedly. Mirren also froze, but he froze in fear unlike Zelda and Faria. Link looked right at him. He then began advancing towards him. Mirren's heart pounded like never before, and he trembled as he dropped the Fire Diamond. Link was soon looming over him with the same evil smile, and he grabbed Mirren by the throat. He lifted him up in the air, and pointed the Biggoron's Sword at his neck. Zelda watched in terror as she saw what Link was doing. He turned to her.  
  
"Well Zelda, it looks like your little boy's death gets to happen right before your eyes!" he taunted, and laughed devilishly. Tears once again formed in Zelda eyes, and the same went for Faria. The tears in Zelda's eyes dripped down her face and cascaded on the floor.  
  
"No...please don't.." she pleaded. Link smiled diabolically and turned to Mirren.  
  
"Well my little brother, have any last words before your own older brother kills you?" he asked. Mirren groaned a little, but opened his eyes and looked at Link.  
  
"You might think I'd be crushed knowing that my brother is about to kill me; but I'm not" he began. Link looked a little surprised. "Yeah, I'm not sad at all. You're not my brother. You're just some evil spirit. It may be Link's body you're using to kill me, it may be Link's mind you're possessing, but it's not Link himself. It's not my older brother whom I love and who loves me. It's just you, some devil. And I'd never be crushed because you're killing me. It's not Link who's doing it, so it doesn't bother me." Tears now formed in Mirren's eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Link suddenly felt a change in him, and the evil spirit possessing him began to feel weakened. "I just wish though, I could've seen my older brother before I die" Mirren said, "I just wish I could've said something to him before I left. It would've been great say goodbye to my brother, and tell him I love him, and would always remember him.." All of sudden the evil spirit inside Link began to diminish. Slowly, a great blackness began to leave Link's body and disappear in the air around him. His silver hair began to turn blonde, his red eyes began to go back to their normal blue, and the evilness on his face began to vanish. Soon he was back to his normal self, and a shadow figure suddenly left his body and flew away with anger in his red eyes. Zelda's eyes lit up as she saw Link back in his good, non-possessed form, and now tears of joy came from her eyes. Link knew what had happened. He remembered first being possessed, and he knew that Mirren's tears and love for him was what weakened the evil spirit and allowed him to escape its clutches. He didn't know anything of the battle, but he could feel the pain of his wounds, and realized there had been a battle by looking around him. He looked at Mirren, who still had tears in his eyes, and smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry Mirren..." he whispered. Mirren still looked a little surprised by Link changing, but he soon just buried his face in Link's chest and began to cry. Link no longer held him by the neck with one hand. He dropped the Biggoron's Sword and held his little brother up as he embraced him with both arms. He hugged him as Mirren still cried, and smiled at him. Zelda now smiled, and so did Faria. They were both now shedding tears of joy now that Link was back to his old self, and the battle was over. Nepsana had also got up, and smiled through her pain as she saw Link hold his brother and as Mirren cried in his chest.  
  
It was a happy moment then, Link was no longer possessed, the battle was over, and Mirren was shedding tear after tear in happiness that his brother was back. Everyone smiled at the two, but suddenly, a black and purple portal appeared by Zelda and Faria, and they all were surprised by it. Then Emralda and Ganondorf all of sudden appeared, and Emralda smiled wickedly as she pointed her staff at Link. The diamond shaped emerald at the top was glowing greatly, and she fired out a beam of energy from it. Link heard it coming, and out of the corner of his eye saw everything. He tightened his grip on Mirren, and prepared to take the force of the hit in that split second. It struck him square in the back, and he screamed in agony as it burned him and pounded him with dark energy. Zelda screamed his name as he fell to his knees, and finally collapsed all the way. He closed his eyes as he let go of Mirren, and he was unconscious. Mirren landed on the ground, and groaned a little from the fall. He was confused by what just happen, and looked forward. Instantly, his reddened eyes were filled with fear. His jaw dropped, and he froze in terror. He saw Ganondorf and Emralda standing there, and Link on the ground before him smoking from the hit and unconscious. Ganondorf smiled evilly.  
  
"Good to see you again boy" he began, "it's been a while hasn't it?" Everyone in the room was thunderstruck by what they were seeing. Nepsana, Zelda, and Faria also froze, and looked like they had seen a ghost. Zelda then noticed that Ganondorf was holding Jarlis by the back of his robe.  
  
"What...did you do to...him...?" she asked fearfully. Ganondorf grinned diabolically as he turned to her. He stared her in the eye, and simply threw Jarlis's lifeless body to Mirren.  
  
"We killed him..." He answered. Mirren gasped, and his face began to grow pale. He stared down at his friend's dead body, and couldn't believe what was happening. A couple tears rolled down his face, and the others looked on in horror. Emralda now began to speak.  
  
"Yes, that was part of our plan..." she said, "we've already captured Taursus, and Mardera, and then we killed him. All we have to do now is capture these three fools since Link is no longer possessed..." Faria looked a little confused.  
  
"Three?" she asked. Ganondorf grinned and threw his hand out. Instantly Nepsana and Zelda were trapped in two crystal chambers, and Link rose up into the air, and another surrounded his unconscious body. The only one who wasn't trapped besides Mirren...was Faria. She looked around in confusion as Zelda and Nepsana did the same, only in fear and worry. Ganondorf then began advancing towards Faria, and she began to cower and cringe in fear. The Scourge of Hyrule had a wicked smile on his face, and he was soon standing over Faria. He bent down and picked up by the throat. He then turned to Mirren.  
  
"We have other plans for this little girl...." he explained. Mirren's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"No...please don't tell me..." He whispered. Ganondorf grinned, and suddenly sent numerous dark bolts of energy coursing through Faria's body. She screamed in pain as the bolts burned her entire body, and Ganondorf kept on sending more and more into her through his hand. It was a new power he had gained from the incredible energy o the Sages, and it was one which was very powerful. Zelda watched in horror as her little sister endured the incredible pain, but suddenly Faria stopped screaming. Her entire body went limp, and she bowed her head. Ganondorf stopped the attack, and through Faria's dead and charred body on the ground. Tears dripped from Zelda's eyes, and she finally lost it.  
  
"Faria! No!!!" she sobbed, and then at that moment broke down and began to cry terribly. Mirren lay on the ground frozen in shock, and tears also came from his eyes. He couldn't believe that he had just watched Faria die right before his eyes, and seeing Zelda sob so terribly for her dead little sister hurt him terribly. He got up on his knees, and began to move his arm out forwards.  
  
"Faria.." he whispered. His arm trembled, and it suddenly just fell. Mirren lowered his head and then began to cry. He fell to his hands, and wept on his hands and knees. Ganondorf smiled sinisterly.  
  
"Well Mirren, how does it feel?" he asked mockingly, "what is it like to see two of your best friends dead at this moment?" Emralda grinned wickedly.  
  
"And what is it like knowing now you can't do anything to stop us?" she added, "your friends are ours now, and as they travel to our citadel through that portal, their powers will be taken from them and will be ours. Your brother's and Zelda's Triforces will be ours, and we'll be invincible with the great power we'll have. Now, I say we just finish you right here..." Ganondorf smiled diabolically.  
  
"Sounds good to me.." he replied, and lifted his hand up as it glowed with power. Emralda then lifted her staff up, and it also glowed. They both smiled evilly as they were about to fire their attacks and kill Mirren, but suddenly a blue light surrounded Mirren's crying body, and it teleported him away. Ganondorf and Emralda were surprised.  
  
"What was that all about?" she asked. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes and looked a little more serious.  
  
"Who cares?" he replied, "Let's just take these fools outta here to our citadel." Emralda nodded, and the crystals containing the shocked Nepsana, the weeping Zelda, and the unconscious Link all disappeared into the portal. It lit up for a few seconds as they vanished into it, and it slowly disappeared. Ganondorf smiled wickedly. "Well, our plan was certainly a success..." he said, and he and Emralda disappeared.  
  
Author's Notes: If you thought Goldenfire dying was sad, how did ya feel reading this all? : ( Well that's chapter 7 for ya! I hope you liked it, this one took a while with exams and other stuff going on, but I'm off Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday is an 11:00 dismissal for summer vacation, so I can type and be on the computer/internet a lot more now. Chapter 8 will be shorter than this, and kinda similar to chapter 10 of my big Zelda story (ok Link's Little Brother since this is also really big) Man, Link being possessed..how did that grab you all? I really feel that was a nice touch, sad though since Mirren and Zelda were crushed to see that. I might start chapter 8 tonight, but if not tomorrow. Then I'll finish it during the week. Well, that's all I can say for now, please review!  
LittleLink 


	20. Epilogue Chapter 8: Reunion with the God...

Chapter 8: Reunion with the Goddesses  
  
Zelda finally stirred. She slowly opened her reddened eyes, and realized she was no longer in her crystal chamber, but on the hard stone floor in Ganondorf and Emralda's throne room. Once she and the others went through the portal, she lost all consciousness for some reason. She didn't remember ever coming to the citadel, and never being taken out of her crystal prison. The only thing she could remember was crying terribly for the dead Faria as she was brought into the portal. She finally lifted her head up, and looked around. She saw the Sages and Taursus and Mardera all in their crystal chambers, but she noticed that oddly Ganondorf and Emralda were absent. She lifted herself up onto her knees, and then noticed Link was standing in front her with his back facing her. But; he looked different. He had the same silver hair he had when he was possessed and it was even easier to see since he had no hat on. And he was wearing a black tunic just like his with many white designs on it. Zelda was a little confused at what she saw.  
  
"Link....?" she whispered. The Link she saw then looked around her and smiled evilly; it was the possessed Link with his evil face and blood red eyes. Zelda gasped and almost collapsed from shock. Link turned fully around, and grinned down at her. Zelda couldn't believe it. "No...you're possessed again.." she whispered. Link laughed.  
  
"No no Zelda" he began, "this isn't the Link you know. This isn't the Link that was possessed. I am the evil spirit that possessed him and made him do all those things. And from possessing him, I made myself look just like him, only with a few different characteristics. I'm not that the normal Link, I'm Devil Link." Zelda gasped, and began to crawl away. Devil Link smirked and advanced over to her. He knelt down before her, and began to run his hand through her long, dark blonde hair. "You're a beautiful woman Zelda" he said, "I'm not surprised that Link and Mirren both have crushes on you.." Zelda narrowed her eyes and tried to escape.  
  
"Shut your mouth" she sneered, "even after we broke up, if Link still loves me, that's nothing you should ever consider your business. And especially also with Mirren, don't ever say anything about him; because I like him a lot better than you Devil Link!" Devil Link smirked.  
  
"I expected something like that to come from you Zelda" he replied, "You like that kid a lot, I can see. And that little crush he has on you makes your bond with him even greater. What is it that actually makes you like that kid?" Zelda glared at Devil Link.  
  
"He's a brave kid who like Link would do anything to protect me" she answered, "he risked his life to save me from Ganondorf and Emralda before, and he reminds me a lot of Link. He has the innocence of a younger child, but has the maturity of an adult, and he's the sweetest kid I've ever known." Dark Link grinned.  
  
"And is that why you even kissed him?" he jeered. Zelda had enough of Devil Link's mocking words. She narrowed her eyes again, and lifted her hand up. She flung it at Devil Link for a slap across the face, but without even looking at it he lifted his left hand up and blocked it. He smiled evilly. "Zelda, do you know why you're not in your crystal chamber?" he asked. Zelda shook her head. "That's because I asked Ganondorf and Emralda not to. You're such a beauty Zelda, you never deserve to be trapped inside a crystal." Zelda now looked a little afraid as Devil Link moved closer to her.  
  
"If you even ~think~ about kissing me, you better forget it.." She threatened. Devil Link smirked. He knew Zelda wouldn't stop him, she was just ~trying~ to stop him from doing it. But there was nothing she could ever say that would stop him.  
  
"Zelda, you're too beautiful, I'd love for you to be all mine..." he said, "and not Mirren or anyone else can stop me.." Devil Link grinned as he said this, and was about to kiss Zelda before someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Devil Link was taken by surprise, and the second he turned around, he met a swift punch from the real Link to his face. He was sent flying, and crashed hard on the ground as his face throbbed. Link narrowed his eyes as he fixed the Golden Gauntlet on his hand.  
  
"You said before as you possessed me that the Golden Gauntlets could be used for more than strength..." he began, "well I've found that they can also make punches all the better...." Zelda instantly jumped up and over to Link. She threw her hands around him, and Link held her close.  
  
"Oh Link thank you.." she whispered, "thank you for stopping that sick fool..I can always count of you.." Link then took his middle and index finger and lifted her chin up. He only smiled at her. Devil Link now got up. He wiped the blood from his lips and smiled wickedly.  
  
"Ahhhhh.so now you two are finally starting to love each other again..." he taunted. Link's smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes once again.  
  
"Be quiet you devil.." he spat back, "we broke up as lovers. We're only friends now....get used to it.." Devil Link smirked.  
  
"You really think you can fool me with a crock like that?" he asked raising an eyebrow, "you're a fool Link. I can see that love between you two. You both regret ever breaking up. You wanna make up with the other and tell them you love them once again...but you're just too afraid.." Link gritted his teeth.  
  
"Shut up..." he whispered angrily. Devil Link seemed to enjoy Link's anger.  
  
"Ya know, you're pretty lucky that your brother cried in our battle" he began, "because without his sadness you wouldn't have been able to break free of my control. You were lucky that your little brother is such a cry- baby..." Link was ready to rip Devil Link's heart out.  
  
"No one insults my little brother like that...." he sneered, "...and lives to tell of it!!!" He was just about to pull out his shield and the Master Sword, but surprisingly the Biggoron's Sword just appeared in his hands. He looked at it with a flummoxed expression, and turned to Zelda.  
  
"I was able to use my magic to teleport your weapon from Hyrule Castle to here" she stated, "I figured it'd help you.." Link nodded, and Devil Link laughed.  
  
"That was very thoughtful of you Zelda, but it still doesn't matter; I'll kill him anyway and have you to myself once Ganondorf and Emralda kill that brat Mirren!!!" Zelda gasped at what Devil Link said about Mirren. She now feared for a second that Link now understood that Mirren also had a crush on her. But luckily Link was just too angry. He grasped the Biggoron's Sword, and screamed in rage as he rushed at Devil Link. The evil spirit of Link smirked as Link brought the huge blade down. Devil Link simply grew out huge fingernails on his hands and lifted one up to block the sword. Link was shocked and gasped. Devil Link smiled evilly.  
  
"How do you like that fool?" he asked, "My fingernails are now like the claws of a beast. Tell me sometime what's it's like to get hit by them..." Devil Link then pushed the blade away and slashed Link across the face with the other hand. Link grunted in pain and was knocked back a few feet. He staggered for a few seconds, and fell to his knees. He felt his skin rip open on his cheek, and touched it to see how bad the wound was. It stung as he did it, and when he looked at his hand, it was covered in blood. Zelda gasped at the bloody slash marks on Link's face.  
  
"Link.." she whispered. The Hero of Time wiped the blood on the floor, and began to slowly get up. Devil Link grinned evilly. He got both hands ready, and charged at Link. He lunged at him with a scream, and went to stab Link's face with one hand full of nails. Link saw him attacking just in time, and lifted the Biggoron's Sword up to block the shot. Devil Link smiled wickedly, and attacked with the other hand. Link once again blocked it, but Devil Link suddenly pulled his hand back and attacked with both. Even though it happened a second, Link was once again able to position the Biggoron's Sword correctly and block both hits. They grappled for a few seconds, and Link gritted his teeth as Devil Link grinned.  
  
"Very nice Hero of Time..." he said, "but let's see you evade this.." Suddenly two large black wings sprouted on Devil Link's back. Link and all the others watching gasped in shock at the demon-like wings, and Devil Link suddenly spun around. As he spun, his wings hit Link and sent him flying. He cried out in pain, and crashed hard on the hard ground.  
  
"Link!!" shouted Saria. Darunia gritted his teeth.  
  
"Come on brother! You can defeat this stupid devil! You can't lose to your demon-self!!!" the Goron Leader yelled. Devil Link smiled diabolically as he looked up at Darunia.  
  
"Oh but he can Darunia, Sage of Fire" he replied, "just watch him die right here when I do this..." Everyone gasped, and a couple tears formed in Zelda's eyes. She was more afraid than ever before right now. Link slowly got up on his feet, and had his back facing Devil Link. He smiled. "Goodbye Link...." he said, and his blood red eyes suddenly shot two red beams of energy from them. They soared through the air and finally found their mark in the middle of Link's back. They exploded, and began to burn away at Link in those few seconds. Link roared in pain as they burnt right through his tunic and scorched his back. Everyone else just froze in shock, and Link stood gasping in pain as his charred back smoked from the attack. He finally closed his eyes, and fell to the ground. Tears rolled down Zelda's face.  
  
"Link!!! Noooooo!!!!!" she screamed as she fell to her knees and cried. Saria, Nabooru, and Ruto also now had tears in their eyes, and watched in horror as Zelda sobbed and Link's lifeless body just lay on the ground. Impa, Darunia, and Rauru just froze. Their mouths hung straight down, but they couldn't speak, they were all frozen in shock. The entire room went silent except for Zelda's crying. She still sobbed for Link, and it seemed she'd never stop. Soon Devil Link spoke.  
  
"Well, that was certainly an easy fight" he stated, "I was expecting more from the Hero of Time..oh well, I always was stronger than him, and I proved it by annihilating him right before all of your eyes. Link is finally dead...." Devil Link then turned to the weeping Zelda and smiled evilly. She lifted her head up, and looked terrified. "Why must you cry Zelda?" he asked, "after all..you're mine now.." Zelda froze. Devil Link began walking over to her with the evil smile still on his face. Zelda began to crawl away, but she wasn't getting anywhere fast. Devil Link soon loomed over her, and put his foot down on the end of her dress to stop her from going anywhere else. She gasped, and Devil Link grinned diabolically. But was about to then kneel down and try to kiss her once again, but he suddenly heard a yell behind him. He turned around confused, and met a slash from the Biggoron's Sword to right cheek. He yelled out from the pain of the hit, and was sent flying away from Zelda. She looked up, and saw Link, breathing heavily, gritting his teeth, but nevertheless; alive.  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed as her eyes lit up. Everyone else looked shocked, but they were all happy that Link was alive.  
  
"Yeah get 'em Link!" shouted Taursus. Link sneered at Devil Link, who was now getting up. He had been clutching his cheek the whole time, but finally removed it. It revealed a terrible, very bloody gash right on his face. Everyone gasped at it, and Link even looked a little shocked by the great wound. Devil Link gritted his teeth as his blood red eyes lit up in rage.  
  
"No one.has ever made me bleed in a battle...and survived.." He said, "...and it'll be the same for you!!!" He screamed, and flew at Link as he got his hands with the huge, long fingernails ready to attack. Link was taken by surprise for a second, and realized he wouldn't be able to evade the attack. He lifted the Biggoron's Sword up, and hoped he'd be able to block all of Devil Link's attacks. The evil spirit lunged at Link, and slashed at him. Link blocked it, and then blocked the next swipe. Devil Link slashed and slashed, but every one was blocked by Link. Devil Link then spun around with his wings, and they hit Link hard. The Biggoron's Sword was knocked from his grip, and it was sent flying into a wall. It went in, and was stuck. Link grunted in pain from the hit, and was knocked back a few feet. He crashed onto the ground, and groaned in pain. He finally noticed that the Biggoron's Sword was gone, and he needed to now use the Master Sword and his shield to fight. He shook his head to get rid of his dizziness, and began to slowly get up. Devil Link smirked, and his eyes lit up once again.  
  
"Look out Link he's going to use those eye beams again!!!!!" Nabooru shouted. Link heard the Gerudo Sage, and saw Devil Link shoot the beams. It'd be impossible to dodge them, so he quickly pulled the Mirror Shield out and absorbed the attack. Devil Link looked a little surprised, and stared in disbelief of the great magical shield. Link finally got on his feet and shot the energy back at Devil Link using the Mirror Shield. Devil Link gritted his teeth, and wrapped his wings around his body. The red beams of energy came flying at him, and bounced off his wings as they gave off an illumination. Link noticed Devil Link was distracted for a second, and pulled out the Master Sword. He screamed in fury, and ran at Devil Link. He held the Master Sword behind his head, and jumped up as he brought it down. He was about to connect with his great jumping slash, but Devil Link's wings suddenly unwrapped and he caught the sacred blade with his fingernails. Link gasped and froze as Devil Link smiled sinisterly.  
  
"You're certainly quite a foolish warrior Link" he said, "I'm surprised you were even able to get that one blow in on me. But no more Hero of Time...you will soon die.." Devil Link grinned, and opened up his mouth. It glowed purple, and everyone watched in confusion. Finally a beam of purple energy rocketed out of it and struck Link full force at point blank range. He screamed in pain and flew across the room. He landed hard on the ground and rolled for a few moments before finally stopping. Everyone gasped from the attack, and was worried that Link wouldn't be able to fight anymore. Link groaned from the pain as his charred tunic and chest smoked a little. Devil Link smiled evilly. "Well well, it seems you've finally taken enough damage to stop fighting" he announced, "I figured that attack would work, but I guess it wasn't enough to finish you. No matter...I'll kill you with this..." Zelda gasped as a few tears formed in her eyes. Link slowly began to get up, and Devil Link's eyes and mouth both glowed. Everyone watched in terror and suspense as these two things and hoped that Link would be somehow able to block or evade the attack. Link stood on the Master Sword, and finally pulled himself up. At that second, Devil Link fired off both attacks. They flew out and soared towards Link like a falcon.  
  
"Look out Link!!!!!!" yelled Mardera. Link slowly lifted his head up, and in a split second saw the two oncoming energy attacks. He in flash lifted up the Mirror Shield just in time, and absorbed the attacks. Devil Link gasped.  
  
"Not again!" he shouted. Link then screamed in fury as he unleashed both attacks back at Devil Link. The evil spirit froze, and watched helplessly as his own two attacks came flying at him. They finally exploded, and created a great gust of wind and illumination. Everyone covered their eyes as the light and wind pounded against them. Link staggered as the wind pushed against him and almost knocked him down, but he kept his footing and withstood all of it. Everything then slowly began to die down, and everyone watched as the smoke slowly began to clear. They all hoped Devil Link was dead, and waited to see what had happened. The smoke still began to diminish, but suddenly two red beams shot out from it. They rocketed at Link, and he froze. They both struck his right shoulder. He yelled out from the pain, and dropped the Mirror Shield and Master Sword as he clutched his wounded shoulder. It was burnt pretty badly, and smoked as he collapsed. He fell backwards, and rived in pain. Everyone gasped, and Zelda put her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Link.." she whispered. Devil Link then flew out of the smoke. He had an evil smile on his face.  
  
"Ha!" he exclaimed, "I knew that would work! I had once again wrapped my wings around my body and blocked my shots, once I knew they were gone, I carefully calculated where you were through the smoke. Once I had an idea of where you were, I shot my beams. Had I judged a little better, they would've struck you right in the throat and killed ya. Even though the fog was what concealed me from you, it was because of it that I wasn't able to kill you. But no matter, you're obviously no longer able to fight. You're badly wounded, and won't be able to get up. Now...I shall finally kill you!!!!" Everyone gasped, and Zelda froze. Tears rolled down her face, and she began to tremble. Devil Link extended his fingernails even more, and smiled wickedly. "Goodbye Link!!!" he yelled, and took off. He soared through the air like a hawk, and got his hands ready as he closed in on Link for the kill. Everyone watched in pure worry and nervousness as Devil Link got closer to Link. More tears came from Zelda's eyes as she watched in pure terror.  
  
"Link....no..." she whispered. Devil Link laughed diabolically as he flew high in the air just about where Link was. He then began flying down towards him, and was only seconds from killing him. But suddenly, Link got up and pulled out the Fairy Bow. In a second he loaded a Light Arrow, and aimed at Devil Link. He froze, and watched as Link glared at him and notched the arrow. He soon let it fly, and it soared up at Devil Link. It struck him directly in the chest and pounded him with its holy power. He roared in pain as the light burned away his wings and paralyzed him. He then began plummeting through the air to the ground, and watched as Link grabbed the Master Sword. The Hero of Time still glared at him, and jumped up with a yell of fury. He extended the Master Sword forward, and Devil Link watched in terror as he came closer and closer top his death. He soon fell into the sacred sword, and he gasped in pain as it dug into his stomach. Blood rolled down the blade as they both hung in mid-air, and Devil Link felt his life-force slowly diminish. Link narrowed his eyes, and looked at Devil Link's shocked, widened eyes. They were filled with fear, but Link sneered.  
  
"You deserve every bit of this..." he spoke, "you possessed me and almost made me kill my little brother. You tried top kill me and rid me of this world. But most of all, you frightened Zelda and tried to force yourself upon her; and that is nothing I could ever forgive you for." Link now paused for a second and stared into Devil Link's eyes. "Now die you filthy devil.." he said, and screamed in fury as he shot a beam of energy from the Master Sword. It exploded against Devil Link at point blank range and burned him away with its awesome power. He screamed in pain as the blast of energy slowly began to disintegrate him. And after a few more moments; it finally did. Link fell down to ground as he watched whatever ashes of Devil Link's body slowly fall to the ground. Once they touched it, they lay there for a few seconds before finally disappearing. Link breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone eye's lit up at the fact that Link had finally won. Tears of joy poured from Zelda's eyes as her face glowed with happiness.  
  
"Link!" she shouted, and ran over to him. Link turned to her and put away the Master Sword. Zelda literally ran into his arms, and Link held her as she cried on his chest. "Oh Link thank God you're alive!" she said, "I thought you were really going to die, I felt crushed. Thank you for saving me from that sick fool and stopping him once and for all!" She began to cry again, but Link took his hand and lifted up her chin as he did before. He smiled.  
  
"I'll always be there for you as your best friend Zelda..count on it" he replied. Zelda looked at him, and smiled back through all of her tears. Suddenly footsteps were heard coming from the thrones in the room. There was a quiet, evil laugh being heard, and finally Ganondorf and Emralda appeared from the shadows. Ganondorf snickered.  
  
"You mean...as your love...don't you Link?" he taunted. Link narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Are you just as stupid as that devil Ganondorf?" he asked, "I've said it already, we broke up as lovers...we're just friends!!!"  
  
"Now now, no need to get all angry Link.." interrupted Emralda. Link gritted his teeth, and Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"Yes, my sister's right, but come on Link, the devil was right, you two love each other, but are just afraid to tell each other once again..." he stated. Link felt like running straight at Ganondorf and slicing him into halves, but he still stayed by Zelda and held her in his arms. Emralda seemed amused.  
  
"I must admit Link, that was quite a battle you had with Devil Link" she began, "you fought rather well against such a powerful foe. I really believed you were dead a couple times...but you always come back for more. I especially liked the finish, coming back at the last second to win is always a better touch to a fight. And I was especially amazed that you won without having the Triforce of Courage..." Link and everyone else in the room gasped. Link's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth dropped. He looked thunderstruck. Ganondorf smiled evilly.  
  
"That's right" he said, and held up his hand with the back of it facing Link and Zelda. Two Triforce pieces appeared on his hand, and Emralda did the same, revealing her own Triforce piece. Ganondorf smirked at the shocked Link. "When you and Zelda were being transported here, we took your Triforce pieces away from you, and used them for our own power..." Emralda also smiled wickedly.  
  
"He's right you two..." she began, "your powers are ours!!!" She let out an evil laugh, and everyone stared in disbelief of what just happened. They all couldn't believe that Zelda and Link no longer had their Triforce pieces, and Ganondorf and Emralda were the ones possessing them. Rauru was on the verge of fainting.  
  
"Our powers, Taursus's, Mardera's and Nepsana's powers, and three pieces of the Triforce..." he whispered, "..those two will be unstoppable.." Impa was just as shocked as Rauru, and looked down at Ganondorf and Emralda. She looked worried.  
  
"How will Mirren be able to stop them....?" she asked. Nabooru shook her head.  
  
"I don't know Impa" she answered, "but as much as I hate to admit it....Mirren might not be able to stop them this time..." Everyone froze from Nabooru's grim words, and realized that she was speaking the truth. Tears formed in Saria's eyes.  
  
"No...he can't lose..." she whispered. Nepsana lowered her head.  
  
"Destiny is what will decide the victor of that battle Saria..." she said, "..we can only hope that Mirren somehow wins against the odds and saves us...."  
  
As Emralda still laughed so wickedly, Ganondorf smiled at Link and Zelda.  
  
"Now, let's break you two up once again!" he yelled and threw his hand out. Suddenly a crystal prison appeared around both Zelda and Link, and their embrace was broken. They both put their hands on their crystals trying to touch the others....but they were trapped and split apart. Ganondorf then raised his hand, and the crystal floated up to where everyone else was. "You all are finally in our grasp, now all we have to is wait for Mirren to come and try to save you all.." he began, "....and we'll just kill him right before your eyes!!! We'll get our revenge, we'll be the most powerful duo ever, we'll conquer Hyrule, and that birthday of Mirren's and Zelda's will be ruined!!!!!!" Ganondorf then let a sinister laugh, and a couple tears rolled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes.  
  
~"Please Mirren.."~she said in her head, ~"Please be alright. Rest up, and come here to save us. I know the odds are definitely against you, and that they're probably five times stronger than you...but I know you can still win Mirren, I know you will be able to beat those odds and save us all just as you before. Please Mirren, do everything you can to save us. Please Mirren, for the sake of Hyrule's safety, for our lives, for your own life....and for our own birthday....."~  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren finally opened his eyes. All the tears were gone, and his eyes were still red. The last thing he remembered was crying for the dead Jarlis and Faria, and hearing Ganondorf and Emralda say that they were about to kill him. And then suddenly, he disappeared in a flash of blue light. The second he did, it seemed he lost all consciousness, and fell asleep. He rubbed his eyes as he brought himself about getting up and looked around. The place he was in looked familiar. The diamond-like floor, an endless black ceiling, and watery walls. Why did he feel he had been here before? Suddenly he looked straight in front of him with her backed facing him and saw some woman with her back facing him with long green hair like Zelda's and a light green, sleeveless shirt on. And her blouse was swaddling and more of a white color. He knew where he was now. The Chamber of Sages, and he knew who the woman was standing in front of him.  
  
"Farore.." he whispered almost in shock and surprise. The Goddess of Courage turned around and smiled at Mirren.  
  
"It's good to see you once again Mirren, and good that you're finally awake" she replied somewhat happily. Mirren got up and looked at her smiling face.  
  
"Hey, why am I in the Chamber of Sages?" he asked, "the Sages aren't here, and you guys are the Goddesses." Farore crossed her arms.  
  
"Because this may be the Chamber of Sages, but it's also us Goddesses' Chamber also" she answered, "It may be called the Chamber of Sages, but we use it also. That's why we brought you here." Mirren looked a little confused.  
  
"Farore, what's going on?" he asked, "What happened?" Farore now no longer smiled. She looked serious, and she turned and began to walk away. She motioned for Mirren to follow her, and he did. They walked around a little ways and came upon Din and Nayru, who were wearing the same garments they had before when Mirren first met them.  
  
"Oh, you're up Mirren" exclaimed Nayru, "are you alright?" Mirren nodded.  
  
"I'm fine, I just wanna know what's going on" he answered. Din as always looked serious and stern. She stood up and looked at Mirren. She then looked at the other Goddesses. Farore and Nayru nodded, and Din nodded back as she turned to Mirren once again.  
  
"Alright, I'll begin by explaining this all.." she began. Mirren forgot about everything else and just focused on what Din was saying. "Once Ganondorf and Emralda had killed Faria, you broke down and began to cry as you probably remember.." Mirren thought of Faria for a second and felt hurt inside. But he hid his sorrow and nodded. Din continued. "They were then about to kill you, and almost did, but we had saved you just in time.." Mirren looked a little surprised.  
  
"You guys rescued me?" he asked. Din nodded.  
  
"Yes, we knew you were going to get killed, so we got you outta there as fast as we possibly could.." She replied, "Then they took Nepsana, Link and Zelda through the portal and took them to the citadel..." Mirren now had a couple tears forming in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly.  
  
"What's going on there now? Are they just sitting trapped in their crystal prison?" he asked. Nayru was now the one to speak.  
  
"Well, everyone else has been, but Link and Zelda weren't at first.." She answered. Mirren gave off a flummoxed expression.  
  
"Why's that?" he asked. Nayru seemed to clear her throat.  
  
"This is kinda a long story but I'll still say it.." She began, "do you remember when Link was possessed?" she asked. Mirren nodded. "Okay, well you see that evil spirit that had possessed Link made himself into a form of your brother and asked Ganondorf and Emralda not to put Link and Zelda in their cages at first. That evil spirit had named himself Devil Link, and tried to force himself upon Zelda because he thought she was beautiful.." Mirren narrowed his eyes and at the thought.  
  
"Keep going..." he said though. Nayru nodded.  
  
"Okay, well he came close, but Link came in a stopped him" she replied, "they had quite a battle, and Devil Link proved to be a powerful adversary, he actually almost killed Link a couple times." Mirren's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"He didn't though....did he?" he inquired.  
  
"No, he wasn't able to finish off your brother though" she said, "he came close at the end, but Link shot him with a Light Arrow and killed him with an energy beam from the Master Sword. Link's fine...." Mirren looked a little relieved.  
  
"And Zelda is too..right?" he asked even though he looked a little embarrassed. Nayru smiled.  
  
"Yes, she's also all right" she answered. Mirren's face went red a little. Farore now took over.  
  
"Right now they're all trapped though..." she began, "the Sages, Mardera, Taursus, Nepsana, and now Link and Zelda. Also Ganondorf and Emralda took away their Triforce pieces, they now possess them..." Mirren's eyes bugged out.  
  
"WHAT!!??" he exclaimed, "you've gotta be kidding Farore!!!" She shook her head as she narrowed her eyes.  
  
"No..I'm not Mirren.." she said. Mirren now looked a little worried. He turned his head away as he thought of how powerful Ganondorf and Emralda would be. Farore still looked stern and serious. "Mirren, you have to fight them..."  
  
"BUT HOW!!??" He snapped, Din and Nayru were a little surprised by Mirren's words. "How in God's name am I going to defeat them when they're literally invincible!!!??? All that power is probably twice as much as the Triforce of Justice!!! How can I even fight them!!!??" Farore narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Stop being a fool Mirren" she sneered, "you're acting just as you were before when you met us!!! How can you say such foolish words when your friends and loved ones lives are on the line!!!???" Din and Nayru were both shocked by how Farore had exploded. They had never seen the Goddess of Courage so angry, and never saw her yell or scold at anyone so aggressively.  
  
"She's acting just like me now..." Din whispered. Nayru didn't really pay attention to Din, what she was paying attention to..was Mirren. As Farore glared at him, and at the mentioning of his friends, tears formed in Mirren's eyes once again. He thought of them all trapped there, and it began to break him down knowing they were gone from him once again. He closed his eyes and turned away from them.  
  
"This is all happening once again..." he began, "they've captured all my friends once again and am making me suffer. It's all coming again. Emralda and Ganondorf are bringing back my worst nightmare. It's returning, but this time it's even worse. Either I save them, or they die, I die, Hyrule gets conquered by Ganondorf and Emralda, and worst of all....mine and Zelda's birthday gets ruined. I just can't take this suffering any more!!!!" Mirren then fell to his knees and began cry. He still had his eyes closed, but his tears slipped through them and rolled down his face. As he lay there on his hands and knees weeping, Farore suddenly got a change of heart and attitude. She no longer looked so serious and mad; instead she looked sorry for Mirren. She knelt down next to him, and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Forgive me for being so tough on you Mirren.." She said, "I was only trying to motivate you..but I guess I did it the wrong way. I'm not a tough person at all, I was the fool when I was acting like that. I'm sorry Mirren, and just as Din said before, I'm sorry I didn't realize how hard this is on you. You're still just a kid, and losing all of your friends and loved ones must really tale it's toll on you." Mirren stopped crying for a second, and looked at Farore. He got up off his hands, and looked at her through his reddened eyes as a couple tears still came down his face. Farore looked right into his eyes. She now looked a little..determined in a way. "Mirren.." she began, "I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure you save your friends from Ganondorf and Emralda." Mirren choked a little.  
  
"But how will I defeat them? They're so powerful...and if I don't...everything's lost..." he said. Farore put her arm around his shoulders.  
  
"I don't know how you're going to defeat them Mirren.." She replied, "But I still believe even when they're stronger than us Goddesses, you can defeat them somehow. Think of all your friends, think about for motivation to save them. Think about Link dying because you didn't win, would you ever wanna see your older brother die? And what about Zelda? I know you still have that crush on her...you wouldn't let her die would you? I mean after all, you two have your birthday to celebrate tomorrow, you gotta defeat Ganondorf and Emralda to make sure that birthday is the best. The odds are definitely against you, and you have a great chance of losing...but you still must try and defeat them. Give 'em everything you got, that is the only way you can ever have a chance of winning...." Mirren nodded as he wiped away a few tears. He sniffed a little.  
  
"You're right..I've gotta do everything I can.." he began, "...I've gotta give it everything I have to defeat them. I just...I just.." Nayru and Din looked a little surprised as Mirren stuttered. He suddenly broke into tears once again. "I just miss them all so much!" he exclaimed, "all of my friends leaving right before eyes is the worst thing that can happen to me, and three of them have already been killed by Ganondorf and Emralda!! I just could never stand to see all the others die because I can't win!! I just can't take any more!!!!" He then began to cry even more. He wept terribly, and Farore kept her arm about him as she looked at the other Goddesses. All three of them looked sorry for Mirren, and they felt terrible that he had to suffer such horror once again...and all on the day before his birthday....  
  
* * * * *  
  
Link looked out through the window from his crystal prison. It was lighter out now; but the sun was no where near shining. It was raining, pretty hard in fact, and the clouds were dark and grey. The numerous raindrops splashed against the window, and he saw some lightning rip through the sky. A few seconds later, and a huge crash of thunder was heard. As he stood there watching, Taursus knelt in his cage thinking.  
  
"It's probably early morning now" he stated. Link nodded, but didn't bother to look at him.  
  
"I had that idea also" he replied. Taursus now nodded.  
  
"That was quite a battle you had with Devil Link, I really thought you were dead there a few times..." He said. Link didn't change his expression at all.  
  
"Yeah, me too.." He answered back. Taursus nodded again, and looked back to the throne in the room. He thought for a few moments about Ganondorf and Emralda. He thought of their great power, and wondered if Mirren might die.  
  
"Hey Link...?" He began. Link finally turned to him.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked. Taursus looked a little worried amazingly.  
  
"Do you think that Mirren will be able to defeat those two fools and save us?" he asked. Link once again didn't change his expression, but inside a million thoughts rushed through his head. Fear and worry choked him, but he kept from showing that. He turned away, and bowed his head.  
  
"I don't know Taursus..I just don't know..." He answered. Taursus looked a little surprised by Link's answer, but also looked even more worried. Zelda had heard the whole conversation (since her crystal was right next to Link's) and was starting to worry very much about Mirren also. She knew the great amount of power Ganondorf and Emralda now possessed, and that they were next to invincible. A tear formed in her one eye. She was afraid. She was afraid for herself and Mirren. The last thing she ever wanted was see him die right before her eyes, and all on the day before their birthday.  
  
Ganondorf and Emralda walked into the room. They both smiled wickedly, and went over to sit on the chairs on the throne. They rested their arms on the chairs' own arms, except Emralda held her staff with one hand, so only one arm was resting. They were in their normal attire; Ganondorf in black and blue armor, and Emralda in her dark green robe with the gold stripes and the rubies attached to each. They both looked as evil as they usually did, but they oddly paid no attention whatsoever to their prisoners. Nepsana noticed this, and was a little confused.  
  
"What's up with them?" she whispered to Link, "It's like they're totally forgotten about us. They usually always taunt us and jeer at us, but now they're just ignoring us..." Link looked very serious as he watched the two evil brother and sister. He shook his head as he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"I have no idea Nepsana.." He answered, "You're right though, they are acting kinda strange."  
  
"Tss, strange is just an understatement!" exclaimed Ruto but not loud, "have they gotten board with us or something?" Impa shook her head as her ears almost seemed to twitch.  
  
"No..." she said, "...they're waiting for someone to come..." Everyone looked a little confused.  
  
"What in blazes are talkin' 'bout?" asked Darunia. Impa narrowed her eyes.  
  
"There's a couple people coming down the hall, and I guess they're waiting for them..." She answered. Ruto looked shocked.  
  
"How do you know that!?" she exclaimed again but not loud. Impa didn't even turn to her, she just kept listening.  
  
"It has to do with her ears" Zelda answered for Impa to let her keep listening, "because she's a Shiekah, her ears and sense of hearing is greater than a normal Hylian or any other race for that matter..."  
  
"Yeah, her ears are even better than mine.." added Nabooru, "and we Gerudos have some pretty nice hearing skills!"  
  
"Can you tell what they might be Impa?" asked Zelda. Impa shook her head.  
  
"Nothing except they're big and loud.." she answered. Suddenly the sound of large and loud stomping was heard. A few of them gasped, and were a little afraid of what might be coming through the doors. Link narrowed his eyes as he focused completely on the door. He was prepared for anything....anything except what did come through the doors.  
  
It was Malon. All chained up and looking terrified. She was followed by two Moblins, and they were all snickering and smiling evilly. Link froze. He gasped, and his mouth hung down as his eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe that it was Malon, and how afraid she looked. Everyone else gasped also, but Nepsana also sneered.  
  
"Those are some of the Moblins from Varnash's gang...." she stated. Mardera turned to her.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked. Nepsana nodded but didn't look at her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure of it..." she answered. Zelda like Link was also frozen in shock. Her eyes widened, and she placed her hand over her mouth as it dropped. Ganondorf sat on his great chair smiling diabolically at the frightened Malon.  
  
"Well well, it looks like we've finally got the ranch girl here.." he said standing up. Malon cringed, and trembled. Link finally had enough. His eyes lit up with anger, and he gritted his teeth.  
  
"What are doing this to her for Ganondorf!!!!????" he screamed. The Scourge of Hyrule smirked as he looked up at the enraged Link.  
  
"You certainly aren't happy to see her like this, are you Link?" he taunted. Link would've done anything at that moment to break out of his crystal and slice Ganondorf's throat open.  
  
"You're darn right you sick fool!!!!" Emralda smiled evilly. She was amused by Link's intense anger. She also now stood up and walked over to her brother.  
  
"Well, we have another visitor with us..." She announced, and another Moblin walked in with Teerlis chained up also in front of him. Teerlis walked slowly, and his garments were torn in several places, and his wounds bled a little. He walked over to Malon, and just collapsed next to her. Malon gasped and tried to help him up. Link was as angry as ever.  
  
"Answer me Ganondorf!!! Why are you doing this!!!???" he shouted. Ganondorf smiled wickedly and looked up at Link.  
  
"You really wanna know why? Well fine..I'll tell you..." he replied, "I knew that these two ranch fools are good friends of Mirren's, so I decided it'd be best to capture them and bring them here. And considering that this'll be the time that Mirren finally dies..why not have all of his best friends here!!!???" Ganondorf then laughed diabolically. Emralda grinned.  
  
"Time to cage you two up..." She said, and threw her hand out. A crystal prison appeared around both of them, and slowly floated up to where all the others were. Everyone watched as they came over to the rest, and felt terrible for the both of them. Ganondorf now turned to the Moblins.  
  
"Your work is done, you may leave to do whatever you wish." He said. The one Moblin smiled.  
  
"But Ganondorf, we want to join your great army!" he exclaimed. Emralda smirked.  
  
"Really?" she asked. The Moblin nodded.  
  
"Yes, we wanna be as much as help as possible!" he replied. Emralda grinned.  
  
"You wanna help us?" she began, "Fine. I have a great way you guys can help us out. You three can be Blackfang's victims for his training..." The Moblins looked a little confused, and so did everyone else watching. Emralda snapped her fingers, and suddenly part of one of the walls began to lift up. It slowly opened, and revealed some blackness. Suddenly two yellow eyes appeared, and a snarl was heard. The Moblins froze in fear, and finally a great, and absolutely huge black panther leapt from the blackness. It roared, and the Moblins screamed in fear. Blackfang lunged at them, and began to savagely attack them. He swiped at them with his great claws and cut them open. They all kept on screaming as Blackfang ripped them apart. Zelda, Impa and all the others turned away from the gruesome and disturbing site, all except Link who stood frozen in shock as he watched the Moblins get torn and bloodied to pulps. His mouth dropped, and he gasped numerously. Soon all the screaming stopped, and the sounds of Blackfang's savage killing stopped. They all looked back, and froze when they saw the three Moblins, bloodied, torn open in several places, and dead. Emralda smiled.  
  
"What a good panther!" she said, "I knew he'd be perfect!" Ganondorf also smiled and looked up at the shocked and terrified captives.  
  
"Do you all like him?" he asked, "He's Emralda's new pet and protector. She found him in the woods here in Herlassia and brought him here to the citadel. She's trained him very well, and took a great liking to her. He'll do any command she gives him, and he especially loves killing and tearing apart his victims. I can't wait to see how you all react once we send him loose on Mirren..." Ganondorf laughed as everyone still stood frozen in terror, and they now felt even worse knowing Mirren would have to fight that terrifying creature. Emralda smiled as she walked over to Blackfang and began to stroke his sleek, black as shadow fur. He purred, and lay down as she still stroked it.  
  
"Now all we need to do is put your armor on, and you'll be the greatest cat in all of Hyrule and Herlassia!" she said. Instantly three Iron Knuckles came through the doors to the throne room carrying gold and red armor. They walked over to Emralda, and began to put the armor on Blackfang as Emralda still stroked him. The armor was like that of the one used for horses when they are used for battle. Except it was only his body, his head and legs were left uncovered, along with his tail. Emralda smiled as she watched the great armor put on the huge panther, and everyone watched except Link and Zelda, who were more concerned for Malon.  
  
"Are you okay?" Zelda asked. Malon sniffed back a few tears and nodded.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine.." she answered, "same with Teerlis, they didn't hurt us that bad, they only captured us..." Link looked a little surprised as he stared at Teerlis's many wounds.  
  
"But he's covered in cuts and blood!" he exclaimed, Teerlis groaned as he lifted himself up and shook his head to get rid of the stars. He looked over at Link.  
  
"That doesn't mean I didn't beat the livin' heck outta the Iron Knuckles that came..." he replied. Zelda also looked a little surprised.  
  
"You fought them!?" she asked. Teerlis nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I guess they were originally going to kill us, but after I beat half of them to their death with a pitchfork and chain, they decided just to capture us and bring us here.." he said. Malon nodded.  
  
"Yeah, without him, we would've been brought here dead for Mirren to see.."she stated. Zelda nodded, and so did Link. Teerlis looked a little worried.  
  
"I may be a normal Hylian elf, and I might not know much of what's going on, but do you guys think Mirren'll even have a chance against Ganondorf and Emralda?" he asked. Zelda now also looked a little worried, and she looked over at Link, who looked very grim and turned his head away as he closed his eyes.  
  
"I do not know..." He whispered, "he has a great chance of losing...we can only hope that he wins..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mirren had eventually stopped crying after a while. He calmed down, and toughened up a little. He went over to a side of a chamber, and stood by himself thinking. The Goddesses' knew he was still very hurt by seeing three of his friends die, and that all of his other friends and loved ones were gone once again. Din and Farore went over to another side of the chamber and began to discuss something, while Nayru went over by Mirren. She walked over to him, and stood next him as she looked down at him.  
  
"You okay Mirren?" she asked softly and gently. Mirren sniffed as he wiped away a few remaining tears. He nodded, but didn't look up at her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay...just worried that I won't be able to defeat Ganondorf and Emralda and save everyone..." he replied.  
  
"I don't blame you..." She said back, "They're both incredibly powerful, and you're still just a kid. This must be terrifying for you." Mirren shook his head.  
  
"That's not what I fear the most..." he said, "What I'm really most afraid of is that I won't be able to save them, and they'll all die. And especially since mine and Zelda's birthday is tomorrow..." Nayru put her arm around his shoulders.  
  
"That is a very wise and noble thing to say of you..." she began, "and I'm not surprised you're more worried about your friends' lives than Ganondorf and Emralda, I'd be terrified that they'd all die too. But no matter how strong Ganondorf and Emralda are, you must always keep on fighting and give it every single bit of energy in your body before you run outta life. Even if they're triple you power, you mustn't give up fighting. And remember, me, Din, and Farore will still be there to back you up if you need it. You're not alone, always remember that. And also always think of your friends and loved ones. Never stop picturing them in your mind, they'll motivate you and keep you going to fight to save them. Think of the Sages, think of Mardera, think of Nepsana, think of Taursus, think of Link..think of Zelda.." Mirren sniffed back any remaining tears he had, and nodded. He seemed fine now, and no longer looked like he was going to cry or anything. He looked rather calm now, but serious. Nayru also noticed his ears went a little red. She knew the cause for this instantly. "You still have that crush on Zelda?" she asked with a grin. Mirren's face went red now. He looked a little embarrassed and looked away.  
  
"Yeah..." He replied. Nayru smiled.  
  
"Don't ever worry about it" she began, "you remember what she said don't you? She doesn't mind that you have that crush on her; in fact...she's actually happy you do. There's no way you can stop love Mirren, so whatever you do, don't try to get rid of it..." Mirren still looked a little embarrassed, and now worried.  
  
"Yeah, but I still always hate it since she and Link love each other" he replied, "I know that they broke up, but deep down inside..they still love each other..." Nayru smiled again.  
  
"Then that's something you should do once you save them if you do" she stated, "Bring them back together. You did it before, and they'll never be happier. And hey..you might get another kiss from Zelda.." Mirren blushed again, and Nayru laughed a little. He looked up at her, and actually smiled in a way.  
  
"Thanks Nayru..." he said, "If I can't talk to Zelda..you're the next best thing.." Nayru smiled again and nodded.  
  
"Any time Mirren..any time" she replied. She then looked out of the corner of her eye, and noticed that Farore was motioning her to come with Mirren to her and Din. She nodded to them, and looked back at Mirren. "Come with me..." she said, "Me and the others have something for you." Mirren looked a little surprised, and confused as he and Nayru walked over to the other side of the chamber to Din and Farore. They were soon there, and Farore looked down at Mirren.  
  
"Mirren, we have something to give you" she said. Mirren looked a little surprised.  
  
"You have something to give to ~me~?" he asked. Din nodded.  
  
"Yes, listen Mirren, we knew how hurt you were once Goldenfire died, and how hard you took it" she began, "and now you really can't get around all that well without him. You may still have Artra, but she's just a pony, and she's supposed to live at the ranch. That's why we've decided to give you Goldwing." Mirren looked a little confused, and the three Goddesses lifted their hands up into the air. A golden light began to shine above them all, and it kept getting brighter and brighter and brighter. Mirren watched as he suddenly heard a screech. The light flashed, and when Mirren looked back, he saw a beautiful golden phoenix hovering in the sky. He gasped, and stood in awe of the great beast. It must've been twenty-five feet tall, and its body was covered in the most beautiful and shining of golden feathers. Its wings were huge, and spread out to a great length. Its head was that of a hawk, and the great phoenix had dark silver eyes. The Goddesses finally brought their arms down, and smiled at Mirren.  
  
"This is Goldwing Mirren" began Farore, "he's our phoenix companion. He's a great flyer, and is great for battles. His fire is also golden like Goldenfire's, and it's probably just as strong." Mirren still looked shocked.  
  
"And you're giving him to ~me~" he asked. Farore smiled again and nodded.  
  
"Yep, you're going to need another companion now that Goldenfire's dead...and in my mind there's no one better than Goldwing." Mirren still looked shocked, and Goldwing now flew down next to him. The great golden phoenix landed by his side, and knelt down. Mirren looked at the beautiful creature, and finally smiled. He stroked his neck, and Goldwing seemed to like it. Mirren felt great. Goldwing was just like Goldenfire, almost like an exact copy...only in bird form. A tear dripped from his eye as he looked over at the Goddesses.  
  
"Thank you guys.." he said. They all smiled back at him.  
  
"No problem Mirren.." they all said. Mirren then turned back to Goldwing and went back to stroking his neck. Farore and Nayru still smiled, but Din now looked a little more serious.  
  
"I'd say it's about noon now, it'll take us 'til probably the evening to get to Emralda's Citadel in Herlassia" she stated, "I think we should be leaving soon." The other Goddesses looked just as serious. Nayru nodded.  
  
"You're right" she replied, "but we must first think of a plan on how we're going to fight there. Will we do it like last time?" Mirren now looked at them and was also serious as they talked about the situation. Farore shook her head.  
  
"No Nayru, our plan will be different this time, "she began, "last time Ganondorf and Emralda had troops on the ground floor of the castle area, and then on all three floors of the tower before the throne room at the top. This time it's a little different. They once again have a bunch of troops on the ground floor, that'll be where Goldwing will fight." Mirren nodded and looked at the phoenix. Goldwing even seemed to nod at the plan Farore continued. "Alright, then the next floors are filled with enemies. The first will be full of Moblins, and then the next will have a bunch of Iron Knuckles in it. This time it's not gonna be where one of us Goddesses stay there to fight as the others go on. We're all gonna stay there and fight until every last enemy is killed. Because on the third floor there's three unknown enemies there with great power, so us three Goddesses will fight them as you Mirren go up to the throne room to fight Ganondorf and Emralda. Understand?" Mirren nodded and hopped on Goldwing. Din and Nayru also nodded. The Goddesses then lifted their hands up into the air. There was a flash of light, and all of sudden they were in the sky high above Hyrule. Goldwing was hovering, and the Goddesses just floated. Farore looked at the other Goddesses. "Are you guys ready?" asked.  
  
"Ready as ever!" exclaimed Din.  
  
"Yes, I'm ready" replied Nayru. Farore nodded and looked over at Mirren.  
  
"Are you ready Mirren? Do you think you can do this?" she asked. Everything was silent for a few moments. Mirren bowed his head as everyone waited for his answer.  
  
"Even if I die trying...I'm going to do everything I can to save them.." He said. He looked up at them. "I'm ready..I'm going to fight." Even though she didn't express it, Mirren's words of courage and nobility made her feel great and proud of him. She nodded.  
  
"Alright everybody....let's go!" she yelled, and flew off. Din and Nayru followed her up, and Mirren began riding Goldwing behind them. They all flew over the great kingdom of Hyrule, and looked forward to the land of Herlassia. The place where Mirren and all of his friends' fates would be decided.  
  
Author's Notes: Hooooly smokes what a chapter!!! Sorry this took so long, it was literally a long chapter, and plus I was kinda losing my passion to write a few times...but don't worry I'm fine I can keep writing!! Besides, next chapter is the battle!!! Ohhhhhh boy get ready for the longest, best battle you've ever seen! If you though the other was good, then my God your heart's gonna stop from this one!!! I loved it how at the very beginning of this chapter I got to start off with an awesome fight. Heh, how'd ya like Devil Link guys? Well, the next chapter is the final battle, and then after that I've got one more chapter to write before I finally finish this great Zelda novel. Thank you all who've been reading it and reviewing it. You guys have kept me going. And the next chapter will be even better if I get a few reviews!! Hey, I really wanna know what you guys thought of that battle with Devil Link, so if you review tell me about that definitely, and then the rest. I'm gonna be really into the next chapter, so it's gonna be long, and awesome. Look for it possibly this weekend. Well, that's all I gotta say.....PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! 


	21. Epilogue Chapter 9: The Final Countdown

Chapter 9: The Final Countdown  
  
The three Goddesses and Mirren flew over Hyrule on their way to Herlassia. They passed over the field, Lon Lon Ranch, and had passed Hyrule Castle a little while ago. About a half an hour before, they entered Herlassia and decided to pick up a little speed. It was not a nice day out. The sky was gray, and the clouds were a thick black. Rain began to pour out of them and make its way down to the earth. But even with the bad whether and atmosphere, they kept on flying.  
  
Mirren sat atop Goldwing still thinking of that final battle. His hazel eyes were full of intensity and fierceness, just as before. He had a very slim, narrow chance of defeating them, but even with that, he was determined to win and save all of his friends. There was so much at stake. If he lost, then he would die. Hyrule would be conquered by Ganondorf and Emralda. All of his friends and loved ones would die. And his and Zelda's birthday would be ruined.  
  
Din and Nayru flew to the sides of Goldwing and Mirren, while Farore lead the flight in front of them. Right before they flew off, Mirren put his battle armor on by simply snapping his fingers. It all appeared on him; the red cape, the indigo steel body armor, the golden shoulder pads, the steel elbow and knee pads, and the chain mail pants and gauntlets. The great battle armor given to him by the Sages, light as a feather, hard as iron ore. The wind blew his red cape around, and the rain poured down onto his body armor and other pieces.  
  
They kept on flying for a few more hours, and it looked like it was slowly becoming dusk. Farore finally spotted the great, huge black tower in the distance, and soon saw the rest of the citadel.  
  
"It's right up ahead guys, we should be there soon, so get ready" she said. Din and Nayru nodded, but Mirren stayed silent and motionless. The mention of this now made him even more intensified. He was only a little while away from once again stepping into that citadel to fight. He was only a little while away from running up that tower and fighting all the enemies. He was only a little while away from once again fighting the most powerful duo in Hyrule..and hopefully defeating them.  
  
* * * * *  
  
About twenty minutes later, they all finally made it to the citadel. They landed in front of the huge black and red door and walked up to it as Mirren hopped off Goldwing. He walked over to the Goddesses and looked up at the door as Goldwing trotted behind him. Din turned around and looked at him.  
  
"Are you ready to fight Mirren?" she asked. Nayru and Farore now turned around and looked at Mirren. The warrior boy stood in his armor as he bowed his head. He was silent for a few moments, before reached to his back, and grabbed the bronze hilt of the Goddesses' Sword. He tightened his grip on it, and slowly pulled it out of his scabbard. It was finally out, and grasped it with both hands as he looked up at the Goddesses. He nodded.  
  
"I'm ready...." he answered. They all nodded back, and the four of them opened up the door. They all walked in, and began running down the carpeted hallway as Goldwing began to fly behind them.  
  
"Remember Mirren, Goldwing's gonna be fighting if there's any troops on the ground floor, so make sure he's ready to fight, okay?" Nayru stated. Mirren nodded and looked back at his great golden phoenix. He nodded back at him. They all soon came to another large door, and they opened it up. They ran inside the ground area, and stopped.  
  
"Ohhhhh boy.." Mirren said. They looked all around, and saw endless black Iron Knuckles and huge, terrible looking Moblins and Monblins. They all were just like the other troops before, all battle ready and not looking happy. They filled up the entire, absolutely huge area of the ground floor, and it seemed like there might've been more than a hundred all together. Mirren looked a little shocked and worried, but Din turned to him and looked fine.  
  
"Send Goldwing on them now" she told him, "tell him to clear a path for us to the entrance of the tower..okay?" Mirren looked up at her now more worried than shocked.  
  
"But will he be able to take them all out without getting seriously hurt?" he asked. Nayru laughed.  
  
"If I weren't a Goddess I would bet my own life on Goldwing to win!" she exclaimed. Mirren still seemed a little skeptical, but nodded. He turned to Goldwing.  
  
"Alright Goldwing, I need you to destroy enough of these guys so we can get to the tower entrance safely, then I'll need you to stay down here and take all the troops out, okay?" he said. Goldwing nodded, and actually seemed to narrow his eyes at the troops. He let out a screech, and flew at them. He outstretched his talons, and raked through the troops as he got closer to the tower entrance. As he flew by he sliced through every Moblin and every Iron Knuckle in front of him to a terrible, and rather painful death. He stopped about halfway there and watched as a bunch of Moblins charged at him with their spears in front of them. Goldwing screeched again, and unleashed a beam of fire from his mouth. It struck the Moblin gang, and burnt them all to death. Mirren's eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped as he watched Goldwing annihilate the troops with such ease. Din turned to him and grinned.  
  
"And you though he wouldn't stand a chance.." she said. Farore was a little more serious unlike Din, and turned to everyone.  
  
"Alright! He's gotten a good path down...let's go!!" she yelled. They all nodded, and began to run to the tower entrance. They ran and ran and soon came to Goldwing as they began entering the tower. The Goddesses were the first in, and Mirren was last. He entered, and looked back at Goldwing.  
  
"Please be okay..got it bud?" he whispered. Goldwing nodded, and turned back to a bunch of oncoming Iron Knuckles. He charged up once again, and shot a beam of fire from his mouth, disintegrating the Iron Knuckles away. Mirren almost seemed to smile at his new companion, and began running up the tower stairs to catch up to the Goddesses. Mirren was pretty fast, and he was faster than the Goddesses so within a few moments he was right to the side of them. "What troops are on this floor again Farore?" Mirren asked.  
  
"Moblins" she answered. They all soon came to the floor after a few minutes, and opened it up. They ran in, and stopped at the sight of sixteen angry, tough looking Moblins. They all glared at Mirren and the Goddesses, and grasped their spears as they all got in battle stances.  
  
"You think that Ganondorf would learn that these weak troops are no longer strong enough to even fatigue us a little.." Din stated. The Moblins gritted their teeth, and charged at the four with a yell of fury. Mirren grasped the Goddesses Sword with both hands, and got in a battle position as the Goddesses did the same. Once the Moblins made it halfway across the room, the four charged at them.  
  
Din outstretched her hand and charged a fireball up. Once it was complete, she rocketed it from her and sent it flying at a Moblin. He froze in terror, and was soon incinerated by it to a burning death. The other three Moblins gasped, and also froze in shock of their dead comrade. Din took advantage of the situation and put both hands out. They glowed with a bright red color, and she soon shot a red beam of energy at them. It struck two of the unsuspecting Moblins, and killed them instantly. The remaining Moblin gasped and froze again, and looked at Din with fear in his eyes. He slowly backed off, and finally began to try and run away. Din narrowed her eyes, and flew at him. He didn't get very for, for once Din grabbed the back of his neck..he was dead. She screamed in fury and from the power coursing through her veins, and sent numerous flames through his body from her hand. This was just like the attack Ganondorf had used on Faria to kill her, only he used dark energy bolts while Din used fire. She soon stopped the attack, and it left a charred, dead Moblin. She dropped him, and glared at his dead body. Farore flew at her four Moblins, as they rushed at her. One went for a stab of his spear, but she easily dodged it and blasted him away with a ball of green energy. Another Moblin ran at her from behind, and tried to skewer her with his spear. She quickly turned around and dodged once again. The Moblin was a little surprised, and stumbled forward. Farore suddenly put her hand out, and the Moblin froze in fright. Her hand glowed green, and she soon shot a blast of energy from it. The Moblin roared in pain, and was disintegrated. The other two Moblins were shocked at her power, but still roared and ran at her spears in hand. Farore turned to them. She glared at them, and held her hand up in the air. It once again glowed green, but the Moblins still charged relentlessly. Her hand was now glowing very bright, and she brought her hand down onto the ground. She screamed from her power rush, and sent a shockwave of energy flying at the Moblins. They stopped in their tracks, and gasped as the shockwave got closer and closer. They watched it helplessly, and knew they were going to die. It finally struck them, and the energy exploded and pounded them with its great power. They roared in pain as they were engulfed with it, and it soon stopped. The Moblins then fell to the floor dead.  
  
The Moblins attacked at Nayru like mad. They all kept stabbing and stabbing at her with their spears trying to turn her into a pincushion. But the Goddess of Wisdom dodged all the attacks with ease as she hovered about in the air. She finally threw her hands, out, and sent two cloths of blue energy flying at the one Moblin. This was just like Zelda's energy cloths attack, only hers were pink and Nayru's were blue. The cloths wrapped around the Moblins neck, and Nayru unleashed the energy. It pounded the Moblin with power, and he roared in pain from the heavy assault of energy. His body finally went limp, and Nayru knew he was dead. Two of the Moblins stood in shock, but the other one screamed in rage and rushed at Nayru. She saw him coming from the corner of her eye, and flung the dead Moblin right at him. It collided into him, and killed him also. The two dead Moblins crashed on the floor, and remaining two were now somewhat afraid, and froze once Nayru looked at them. Her eyes were narrow, and actually glowing a light blue color. The Moblins slowly backed off, but it was too late. Two blue beams of energy shot from her eyes, and soared at the Moblins. They were both struck by one beam, and were sent flying; dead of course.  
  
A Moblin went for a slice at Mirren, but the boy dodged it with ease and pointed the Goddesses' Sword at him. It glowed blue, and the Moblin looked scared. Mirren finally screamed in fury and shot a beam of energy from it. The Moblin was hit directly at point blank range, and was killed. Mirren rested for a second, and heard a Moblin charging behind him. He spun around and blocked the shot the Moblin targeted at Mirren. They both grappled, and Mirren realized he wouldn't be winning this one. The Moblin pushed him away, and Mirren was sent flying. He crashed into the ground, and groaned a little from the pain. The Moblin smirked, and charged at the downed Mirren. He lifted his head up, and saw the Moblin coming. The beast roared and went for a stab at Mirren. But the boy rolled away just in time and got. The Moblin now tried to slash at him, but Mirren used his short size to his advantage and ducked. The spear flew right over him, and Mirren lunged at the Moblin. He stuck the Goddesses' Sword out, and stabbed the Moblin through. It gasped from the pain, and its mouth hung open as blood trickled from it. It dropped its spear, and fell backwards dead. Mirren glared at the Moblin, but soon lost his focus on it as another ran at him. It tried to run him through with its spear, but Mirren jumped up and landed on it as it dug into the ground. The Moblin tried to pull it out of the stone floor, but it was stuck, and Mirren already jumped at him. He pulled the Goddesses' Sword back, and slashed the Moblin right across the face. It let out one grunt of pain, and fell sideways as its wound opened up and bled. Mirren looked at the dead Moblin's great gash for a second, and saw another, and the final Moblin running at him. He turned around, and narrowed his eyes at the creature. It roared in rage, and charged at full speed. Mirren narrowed his eyes, and got in a battle position. The Moblin got closer and closer, and Mirren finally screamed in fury and lunged at the Moblin. He was rather low to the ground, and Moblin instantly realized he was in trouble. Mirren flew past the Moblin, and sliced its leg with a clean cut of his blade. The Moblin yelled out in pain, and fell backwards as he clutched his bleeding leg. He dropped the spear, and lay on the ground riving in pain. Mirren then jumped on his chest, and glared into the Moblin's fearful eyes. Mirren then put the Goddesses' Sword to the Moblin's neck, and grasped in with both hands tightly. He lifted the blade up, and brought it down again. The Goddesses' turned away for a second, and when they looked back Mirren had gotten off the Moblin and quickly cleaned the blood off his sword with a cloth. He finished, and put the cloth away.  
  
"You guys ready?" he asked. Farore nodded, and Din and Nayru did also.  
  
"Yes, now we gotta fight the Iron Knuckles on the next floor" replied Din, "let's go guys." Everyone nodded, and they ran out of the room and up the stairs to the second floor of the tower. They ran and ran up the second flight of stairs, and said nothing the whole way. They were totally silent, thinking only of defeating the remaining enemies, so Mirren would be able to get up to the throne room and finally begin his fight against Ganondorf and Emralda. They ran for quite a while, but after a little bit finally came to the door. Din opened it up, and the three went into the second floor room. Oddly; there was nothing in it.  
  
"What in the world..?" said Mirren. They all walked into the middle of the room, and suddenly, one by one, twenty black Iron Knuckles surrounded them. Din narrowed her eyes, and created a fireball in her hand.  
  
"Alright guys..let's take 'em out!!" she yelled, and shot the fireball at an Iron Knuckles who was instantly killed. Farore and Nayru attacked their own set of Iron Kunckles, and so did Mirren.  
  
He grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands, and flew at an Iron Knuckle with a yell of fury. He went for a cut, but the Iron Knuckle blocked that. They grappled for a second, and Mirren jumped over him. He landed on his feet, and was about to attack the Iron Knuckle before another came running at him. He was soon only a few feet away, and when the Iron Knuckle Mirren had been fighting before swung his axe around, Mirren jumped away and the other Iron Knuckle was smacked. Mirren then lunged at the old Iron Knuckle and sliced the head off. It fell off, and Mirren cut the armored warrior in two. As its armor began falling apart, the Iron Knuckle that had been hit by the other ran at Mirren again to attack him. The warrior boy saw him coming, and dodged the Iron Knuckle's attack. The huge battle axe crashed into the ground, and got stuck. Mirren took this opportunity to attack, and rushed at him. The Iron Knuckle froze, and Mirren did a slash across his body. It broke into two, and its armor slowly disappeared. Mirren saw two more Iron Knuckles charging at him, and decided to finish them off quickly. He pointed his blade at them, and it glowed blue. Even though the Iron Knuckles were only seconds from death, they still rushed at Mirren. He finally shot the beam of energy from the Goddesses' Sword, and destroyed both Iron Knuckles with it. The blast disintegrated them both, but Mirren still had one Iron Knuckle to deal with. It went for a vertical slash of its axe, but Mirren lifted the Goddesses' Sword up just in time to block the attack. They both grappled, and Iron Knuckle suddenly brought his axe back and went for another slash at Mirren. He lifted up the Goddesses' Sword to block the shot, but the force of it still sent him flying. He landed hard on the ground, and the Iron Knuckle at him. Mirren rubbed the back of his throbbing head, and looked up to see the oncoming Iron Knuckle, and knew he needed to get up and fight or he was dead. He grabbed the Goddesses' Sword, and the Iron Knuckle brought his battle axe down. Mirren once again blocked the attack, and tried to push it back up to escape as he still lay on the ground. The Iron Knuckle was getting annoyed, and lifted his one foot up. He brought it down, and Mirren froze at the last second when he saw it. The huge black foot of armor smashed into his stomach, and Mirren screamed in pain. It felt like when the possessed Link smashed his onto his chest, except this was five times worse since the Iron Knuckle's foot was nothing but hard armor. The Iron Knuckle finally brought his foot up, and Mirren clutched his stomach as he rived in pain. The Iron Knuckle knew Mirren wouldn't be able to fight back, so he once again lifted his battle axe up, and brought it down. The huge axe came falling down at the defenseless Mirren, and was about to just dig into him. But at the last second, Mirren grabbed the Goddesses' Sword and rolled the away. The Iron Knuckle was shocked at what just happened, and stumbled forward. Mirren narrowed his eyes and ran him. He flew by him, and there was a flash from the Goddesses' Sword. The Iron Knuckle collapsed, and Mirren simply stood glaring down at it. It just lay there for a few moments before it finally broke in pieces. Mirren looked away from it, and watched as the Goddesses finally finished off their final Iron Knuckles. Once they did, he walked over to them.  
  
"You guys alright?" he asked. They all nodded.  
  
"Yes, we're fine, nothing bad happened" answered Nayru. Mirren nodded.  
  
"Okay, then I guess we're one floor away from Ganondorf and Emralda.." he said. Farore smirked.  
  
"Well, we are, but you're only one..." she corrected. Mirren looked a little confused for a second, but remembered that the only they would be fighting on that floor.  
  
"Oh yeah, why exactly are you guys doing that again?" he asked. Farore smiled.  
  
"I'll tell ya on the way up there..." she said, and ran over to the door. Din and Nayru followed her, and three began going up the stairs. Mirren shrugged, and went up after them. Like before when they very first entered the tower, Mirren quickly caught up to them, and they all ran up the long tower stair flight together. Mirren ran up right up to Farore.  
  
"So, why are you guys gonna fight on that floor and not me?" he asked. Farore didn't look at him, but still kept running.  
  
"Because we're not gonna take the chance of you getting hurt at all now" she answered, "I have a feeling that these three mystery foes are greatly powerful, and if something bad happens to you you'll be at a disadvantage when fighting Ganondorf and Emralda. You need your complete power and energy if you have any chance of defeating them..."  
  
"Yeah, I'm kinda worried about these guys" added Din. Nayru looked a little surprised.  
  
"Why is that?" she asked. Din bowed her head a little.  
  
"Because while feeling their energies, they actually felt familiar" she answered, "like we've seen them before, but they're stronger this time. I have no idea what they could be, except that we've probably seen them before, and they're a lot stronger this time..." Mirren was now also a little worried at Din's words. He narrowed his eyes, and looked determined.  
  
"You can defeat them though Din, all of you..." he said, "you guys are the Goddesses of Hyrule, I have more confidence in you to help me defeat some enemy just as much as I do in Link. You guys can do it..." They all finally came to the door to the third floor room, and Din closed her head as bowed her head once again.  
  
"Let's just hope for that Mirren..." She said, and opened up the door. They all went in, and once again found it empty. They all moved into the room a little farther, but still nothing appeared to fight them. They were all a little surprised, and looked around in confusion.  
  
"I don't get it, where is everything?" asked Farore. No one answered; they all just looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. Mirren began getting closer to the other door, and still looked around. He was now only a few feet away from the stair steps that led up to the door, and suddenly a very dark blue, thick and odd looking water began oozing out through the wall. It began to slowly come out, and move around the room. It began making large puddles and began to take some into tentacles. Everyone gasped watched in shock. Finally, one huge tentacle formed, and a strange looking, nucleus type thing appeared in it. Nayru gasped and put her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Morpha.." she whispered. Then a cackling of a witch was heard, and everyone looked around to see where it was coming from. There was a flash of red and blue, and the fused form of Koume and Kotake appeared, Twinrova the Sorceress. Din's eyes widened in shock, and then there was loud drumming being heard. Everyone looked a little afraid, and suddenly a great shadow creature appeared. It had one long red eye, two huge floating hands, and a great black body. Farore narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Bongo Bongo.." she said. The three great past enemies of Link stared at the Goddesses and Mirren, and looked like they were ready to attack. Twinrova did, and shot a blast of fire at Din. The Goddess of Power deflected the attack, and shot her own blast of fire at the witch. She froze, and fireball hit her and burnt her. She yelled out in pain, and crashed into the wall. Din glared at her, and looked back at everyone else.  
  
"I'll take Twinrova!" she said, and flew at her. Farore then looked at Bongo Bongo.  
  
"I'll get him!" she yelled, and also flew at him. Nayru then looked at Morpha.  
  
"Well it looks like I've got Morpha!" she said, and shot two eyes at the nucleus part. It hit directly, and made the huge tentacle thrash around from the pain. She looked over at Mirren. "Go Mirren!!!" she yelled, "go and fight Ganondorf and Emralda once and for all!!!! Save everyone!!! I know you can do it!!!" Mirren nodded, and ran up the steps to the door. He opened it up, and took one last look at the Goddesses as they fought against the great enemies. He bowed his head, and began to make his way up the stairs. As he ran, he thought of everything that had happened to him only within the past few days. How he saved Nepsana from the Moblins and helped her defeat Varnash. The time when Goldenfire was killed right before his eyes. When he watched the Six Sages get captured and when he and Link fought Magna Volvagia. When Link was possessed and almost got killed by protecting Zelda from him. When he saw Ganondorf kill Faria and take Zelda, Nepsana, and Link through the portal. And up to today when he finally reunited with the Goddesses.  
  
Then he thought of all the people he needed to save now. The Six Sages; Rauru, Saria Darunia, Ruto, Impa, and Nabooru. The six friends of his that helped him in his fist fight with Ganondorf and Emralda. He then thought of Taursus, his big buddy in a way. His Minotaur friend that was as big as his own heart. The one who saved him in the battle at Goron City, and who helped him defeat the Evil Phoenix. He thought of Mardera, the Gerudo whom he saved from The Ogre Pirates. The one who helped him defeat them, Captain Gorg, and the Sea Serpent. The one who he had first brought to live with him Hyrule Castle, and befriend her eternally. He then thought of Nepsana, the teenage girl who was one of his best friends. The girl who he and Link saved from Varnash's Moblins, and the girl who he helped defeat Varnash with. The girl who he considered his own friend on the day he met her. He finally thought of his two most loved ones; Link and Zelda. He literally did love Zelda with his crush on her, and was more determined as ever to rescue her. He felt like she was his big sister in a way, and they were really the best of friends. The many things she had done for him; calling him cute, carrying him to his room when he was injured, hugging him, and especially the kiss she gave him on the night he defeated Ganondorf and Emralda for the first time. All these things had led to his crush for her, and he was set on saving her and celebrating the greatest birthday of his life with her. Then Link finally came in. His big brother whom he loved so much. The one who had felt closest to, his last living family member. He still remembered the embrace they both shared on the day they met, and ever since then they were brothers to the end. He would always remember the adventures they had, the battles they fought together, the hard times they went through together, the times they comforted each other, and all the happy times they had. He had only known Link for about two months, but felt like he had known him for years. It was that brotherly love he had for him, and it was something Link had too. This was the thing that made as close as they were, and the thing that would always keep them together.  
  
Mirren finally came to the doors that were the entrance to the throne room. He put his hand on them, and grasped the Goddesses's Sword with the other. He thought of everything and all of his friends in a split second, and finally narrowed his eyes. He looked straight forward, and went through the doors and into the room where his final battle would take place....  
  
Mirren walked into the room, it was pretty much the same as last time. It was pretty dark now, but a few torches and wall lanterns gave enough light. High on the walls were also demon and gargoyle statues. The floor and walls were a dark grey stone color, and very hard. Orange-yellow stain glass widows surrounded the room on the walls also, and at the far end was the throne. It was nicely sized, with red carpeting and golden chairs with all sorts of gems wedged in. Everyone instantly turned their attention to him. They all gasped, but were a little relieved he had finally arrived. They all looked down at the young, soon to be 12 year old boy, carrying the Goddesses' Sword, and wearing the great battle armor given to him by the Sages. He looked up at all the captives, and he could see that everyone was afraid, even Link looked a little worried. He saw the Sages, Taursus, Mardera, Nepsana, Zelda, Link, and gasped when he suddenly saw the terrified Malon and worried Teerlis. He looked shock, and heard a familiar, quiet laugh. He looked over to where the throne was, and finally saw Ganondorf and Emralda standing there, both with evil smiles on their faces.  
  
"A little surprised to see your ranch friends huh Mirren?" Ganondorf asked mockingly. Anger lit up in Mirren's eyes, and he gritted his teeth.  
  
"Why did you bring them here?" he asked scornfully, "they have no great power you can steal from them to get stronger..." Emralda stepped forward and smirked.  
  
"You're right on that Mirren, but you see, we really didn't care that they didn't have great energy" she began, "but they're great friends of yours, and we wanted to let them see your final battle..." Ganondorf smiled.  
  
"Yes, to see the last battle you'll ever fight, the battle in which you shall die..." He added. Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"I'm still gonna fight, no matter what..." He said. Emralda grinned.  
  
"Do you really think you can beat us?" she asked, "even with this incredible amount of energy in us, you still think you can win?" Mirren looked straight into her pale green, Gerudo eyes.  
  
"I know the odds are against me, I know you're both much stronger than me..." he began, "..but I'm still gonna fight you both. I know that my odds of winning are very narrow, but I'm making an oath that I will fight you both with every single ounce of energy and power in my body. I have a very good chance of losing, but I'm going to find a way to kill you both. I'm going to make sure you both are dead once and for all no matter how much stronger you are, because the lives of my friends are on the line, and I won't let a single one die any more...." Ganondorf smirked, and was a little surprised by Mirren's words.  
  
"Well, you're certainly determined" he replied, "You would even save them and defeat us at the cost of your life?" Mirren nodded.  
  
"Yes...." he answered. Ganondorf smirked, and let out a diabolical laugh.  
  
"Ha! You fool boy!! You're that stupid that you'd even give up your own life to save your friends." he began, "you're as dense as before young one. You talk big, and you're so content on defeating us and rescuing your friends, and also making sure birthday goes well tomorrow...but I guess that's just too bad!!! Kid, you don't stand a chance, I'll give you one opportunity to run away and save yourself. If you refuse this one, then you're going to have to fight us until one of us dies.." Everyone looked worried, and waited for Mirren's answer as they all looked at him. He looked up at them, and thought about how important they really were to him. And he'd be a lot happier if he only died, and not all of them. He looked back at Ganondorf and Emralda, and grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands now.  
  
"Fine then...I guess I'll fight.." he replied. Every one of the captives gasped, and were shocked by his answer...except one. Link smiled.  
  
"That's my little bro, not afraid of anything.." he said. Impa looked very serious.  
  
"Yes, but will he really be able to defeat them, I mean they must be at least double his power!" she exclaimed. Link now looked a little more serious, and also worried. Zelda narrowed her eyes, and looked determined.  
  
"He can do it..." she began, "Mirren is a boy whose heart is bigger than anyone else in Hyrule. He has a greater chance of losing than ever, but he'll still fight to the very end. And even if the odds are against him...he'll still win!!!!" Ganondorf smiled sinisterly, and looked up at Zelda.  
  
"Well, you certainly think he'll defeat us, you have quite a lot of confidence in your little boy.." he replied in a jeering sort of way. Zelda narrowed her eyes at Ganondorf.  
  
"You're darn right I think he can win, I know he can! And I do have pure confidence in him!!!" she yelled. Mirren blushed a little, and Ganondorf laughed again.  
  
"Heh, you're another fool Zelda.." He said, "He has no chance of surviving, but we'll give him a little break." Ganondorf now looked at Mirren. "We won't have him fight the both of us at the same time, I mean he'll get killed too easily then. So instead we'll fight him one by one. Emralda will fight first, and if he ~somehow~ wins, then I'll fight him." Everyone was a little shocked, and Mirren couldn't believe what they were doing. Emralda tightened her grip on her staff, and walked off the throne and onto the stone floor.  
  
"Thank you brother" she said. She now smiled wickedly at Mirren. "Are you ready to die boy?" she asked. Mirren narrowed his eyes, and grasped the Goddesses' Sword tighter as he got in a battle position.  
  
"Bring it..." He said quietly but scornfully. Emralda smiled evilly, and lunged at Mirren with her staff in hand. Zelda looked at Link a little worried and confused.  
  
"Why are they fighting him one by one, he now has a much greater chance of killing them, why are they practically evening the odds when they could finish him off right now?" she asked. Link didn't turn to her; he only looked down at the grinning Ganondorf. He had his arms crossed, and had an evil glee in his eyes. Link shook his head.  
  
"I don't know Zelda" he answered, "but something's up, and I don't like it one bit...."  
  
Emralda screamed in fury at she targeted a stab of her crystal, diamond- like emerald at the top of her staff. It was a powerful attack, but nothing Mirren would have trouble with. He lifted up the Goddesses' Sword and blocked the attack with ease. Emralda pulled it back, and went to crack it over his skull. As it came down, Mirren jumped backwards, and avoided it. It smashed into the ground, but Emralda pulled it back up and rushed at Mirren once again. She did a diagonal slash right at him, but Mirren blocked it with his blade once again. Emralda seemed frustrated and annoyed, and she screamed as she lunged at Mirre once again. She went for another stab, but Mirren had brought the Goddesses' Sword up once again and blocked it. He glared at her, and she gritted her teeth. But suddenly, Emralda smiled evilly, and the emerald began to glow. Mirren's eyes lit up with fear, and she screamed as she shot a dark yellow energy bolt from the staff. It Mirren at point blank range, and scorched his body with its dark energy. He was sent flying into the wall, and crashed into it hard. He rived in pain from the attack, and his smoked a little from the energy bolt. Emralda smiled wickedly.  
  
"Take this boy!!!" she screamed, and shot another bolt of energy at Mirren. Everyone gasped, and watched as the blast of energy got closer to Mirren. He slowly lifted his head up, and saw the bolt. It looked like he'd suffer another painful hit, but he suddenly sprang up and slashed the bolt with his sword. It was sent flying back at Emralda, and she froze as her own attack came closer and closer to her. It soon hit her, and she yelled out in pain from its energy. It burnt her, and pounded her body with its great energy. Mirren grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands, and flew at Emralda. He screamed in fury and rage, and did a jumping slash. It connected with her left arm, and she roared in pain as it sliced right through. She was knocked back a few feet, and landed on the hard stone floor. She groaned in pain, and began to clutch her wounded arm. It stung when she did this, and the dark green material began to turn red around her arm. She removed her hand as she slowly got up, revealing a great slash mark on her arm. Everyone gasped, and was shocked at the great wound, and the great deal of blood that was coming out of it. Mirren had now drawn first blood on Emralda with that attack. She slowly got up, and looked at her wound. She gasped at first, but soon gritted her teeth. She screamed in rage, and flew at Mirren. She attacked with her staff, and Mirren was able to block the shot. She pulled it back, and began to hack away at him. Shot after shot came flying at him from her staff, but Mirren was able to block every one of them with the Goddesses' Sword. She began to grow frustrated, and lashed out like a savage beast. She slashed Mirren across the face with her staff, and he grunted in pain as he was floored. He smashed into the hard ground, and everyone gasped. A small cut appeared on his right cheek, and it opened up and bled. Emralda smirked.  
  
"Ha! Come on boy; let's see what else I can do to you..." She said. Mirren narrowed his eyes, and got up. The second he did, she flew at him and aimed a slash at his stomach. He saw the attack coming, and blocked it with ease. At first Emralda looked angry, but she suddenly grinned. She pulled the staff back in a second and did a vertical slash on his forehead. He yelled out in pain again, and was knocked back a few feet. He landed hard on the ground, and another cut, this time on his forehead, opened up and bled. The blood slowly ran down the middle of his face, and everyone watching looked a little worried. Zelda put her hand over her mouth, and slowly pulled it down as she spoke.  
  
"Mirren.." she whispered. Emralda looked up at her and grinned.  
  
"Afraid now that he's hurt Zelda?" she asked, "Well you should be!! Mirren is a tough kid, but he's nothing compared to me now. I'm much too strong, and after that little attack I doubt if he's got anything left in him. I mean, after all, that was quite a hit!" Emralda let out a wicked laugh, and everyone looked afraid. But suddenly, Mirren just sat up, and got up on his feet. Emralda instantly stopped laughing. She gasped, and her mouth dropped. Mirren simply stood there glaring her with the blood still on his face from both hits.  
  
"Are you proud Emralda?" he asked, "Are you proud that you got two little hits in on me? Are you proud that you knocked me down twice? Are you proud that you made me bleed? If you are...you're pathetic..." Everyone else was shocked too, and Emralda couldn't believe her eyes.  
  
"How did you get up so easily????" she asked. Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Did you really think that two weak attacks like that would actually keep me down for much longer?" he asked back. Link grinned.  
  
"There ya go Mirren..you really just freaked her out with that..." He whispered. And he did. Emralda looked shocked, and her eyes showed that. But she was soon just angered by the fact that her attacks didn't do much to Mirren, and she lunged at him with a yell of fury. She did a jumping slash, but Mirren lifted up the Goddesses' Sword with one hand and blocked it. Emralda gritted her teeth, and Mirren pulled out the Ice Diamond and charged it up.  
  
"Let me show you real power..." he said, and fired a beam of ice from the Ice Diamond. It struck her at point blank range, and froze her as she was sent flying across the room. She landed hard on the stone floor, and some of the ice still on her cracked. She lay on the ground trembling from the cold, and Impa looked shocked.  
  
"I don't get it, she should be literally massacring Mirren, but why is he destroyer her so easily?" she asked. Link now realized what she was saying was true, and shook his head.  
  
"I don't know Impa, you're right though, it's odd" he began, "Emralda has all of our powers and the Triforce of Wisdom in her, and yet it seems Mirren somehow is evenly matched with her, or even has the upper hand! It doesn't make sense; do you think he got some power boost or something?" Impa now shook her head.  
  
"I'd doubt it, we would've been able to feel the energy" she answered. Zelda now looked over at her.  
  
"Then what's going on Impa?" she asked. Impa looked a little worried, and very serious. She looked over at Ganondorf, who was stilling smiling so evilly.  
  
"I don't know Zelda, but I don't like the look of what's going on around here...." she answered.  
  
All the ice on Emralda had now either thawed off or broke apart. It was incredibly cold, and she still trembled a little from it as she got up. She lifted her head up, and saw Mirren still glaring at her. He was still bleeding a little from his wounds, and he was holding the Goddesses' Sword. She breathed heavily from the exhaustion and pain, but she suddenly grinned and her eyes lit up with evil glee. Mirren looked a little shocked, and froze in surprised as she shot an energy bolt at him. He watched as the bolt got closer to him, and he grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands tightly as he readied to knock it back at Emralda. He was just about to slash at it, but it suddenly flew down and exploded on the ground before him. It didn't hit him, but the illumination blinded him for a second, and he was forced to cover his eyes. It was a big mistake, and a painful one at that. Just then Emralda fired another energy bolt, and it hit Mirren head on. He screamed in pain, and was sent flying. The bolt burnt him and crushed him with its power and energy, and he smacked hard into the ground. He groaned in pain as he lay there on the ground from the attack, and Emralda laughed evilly.  
  
"Well, that certainly must've surprised you boy" she spoke, "I new you'd fall for something like that. You were foolish Mirren, you should've just dodged that attack instead of trying to be all tough and knock it back at me; that was truly your downfall, and you obviously paid for it.........." Everyone looked afraid, and they all watched on in worry as Mirren still lay there riving in pain. Emralda smiled diabolically, and she pointed her staff at Mirren. The emerald began to glow. "Say goodbye boy!!!!" she yelled. Everyone watched gasped.  
  
"Mirren!!! Roll away now!!!" Taursus bellowed.  
  
"Get outta there kid!!!" Mardera shouted.  
  
"Mirren!!!! Don't die!!! Escape please!!!" Zelda yelled.  
  
"Bro!!!! Whatever happens..please don't die!!!! Get away..NOOOOOW!!!!" Link screamed at the top of his lungs. But Mirren didn't do anything, he still just lay there moaning. Emralda laughed evilly.  
  
"You now finally die Mirren!!!" she exclaimed, and laughed again as she prepared to fire the energy bolt out. Tears formed in Zelda's eyes, and Link froze in terror. But suddenly, Mirren opened his eyes and sprang up as if nothing happened to him. He pointed the Goddesses' Sword out at Emralda, and it began glowing a light blue. Emralda froze, and her face began to grow pale as she gasped in fear. Mirren narrowed his eyes, and screamed in rage as he unleashed the beam of energy from the sword. It struck Emralda at point blank range, and blew her away. She screamed in pain as she was sent flying, and Mirren pulled out the Thunder Diamond. It began to glow a dark yellow color, and Mirren charged it up. Emralda hovered in mid air for a second, and Mirren shot a blast of thunder from the Thunder Diamond as he yelled out from the immense power he was using. Emralda saw the thunderbolt coming at her, and couldn't believe what was happening. It hit her, and annihilated her with its awesome power and energy. It blew her body away, and she roared in pain as it engulfed her and pounded against her. She was knocked back a few more feet, and landed on the ground a bloody, charred, and wounded mess.  
  
Everyone couldn't believe what they had just seen. They all stood in their crystal prisons frozen in shock. Their jaws dropped, and their eyes widened in shock. They all just looked down at the half-dead Emralda. Mirren only glared at her, and showed no remorse whatsoever for the great attack he just massacred her with. She moaned from the great pain, and slowly lifted herself up. She could only sit up a little, and she grabbed her staff. She looked at Mirren, and breathed heavily from her pain and fatigue.  
  
"How are you so strong?" she asked. Mirren still glared at her.  
  
"I'm as surprised as you Emralda" he replied, "I have no idea why I'm defeating you so easily, maybe it's just because I'm stronger than you, even when you have the Sages and all of my friends' powers....." Emralda gasped, and looked afraid. Mirren held the Goddesses' Sword with one hand, and pointed it at her. "Now...you will die for the pain and suffering you've caused for me and my friends...." The blade began to glow blue again, and it looked as if Emralda would be killed my Mirren once again. He still lay on the ground looking at Mirren with her fearful face....but it suddenly changed. She grinned, and her eyes lit up with that evil glee as usual. She lifted up her staff, and tapped it once on the floor. Mirren stopped charging up the Goddesses' Sword, and stared at Emralda with a flummoxed expression. She still grinned, and began to laugh evilly. Everyone else watching looked confused also. They had no idea what was going on, but were afraid. Malon finally noticed that the one part of the wall was opening up again.  
  
"Oh no....she's gonna make ~him~ attack..." She whispered. Everyone now knew also, and froze as they saw the wall slowly lift up and reveal a space of darkness. There were two yellow eyes, a shining of armor, and a low growling heard. Link gasped, and his eyes lit up with fear.  
  
"It's Blackfang..." he said quietly. The huge panther finally leapt out of the room he was in, and lunged at Mirren with a great roar.  
  
"Look out Mirren!!!!!!" Zelda screamed. He heard Zelda, and finally saw Blackfang rushing at him in his battle armor. The great panther jumped right at him, and rammed him. Mirren was hit head on, and grunted as he was knocked flat. Blackfang snarled at him, and Mirren groaned in pain. He slowly got up, and Blackfang swiped one of his claws at him. Mirren lifted the Goddesses' Sword up just in time, and blocked the shot. But the force of the hit was so powerful that it made him stagger back a few feet. Blackfang attacked relentlessly, and went for another swipe. This one hit Mirren, and he screamed in pain as he felt the claws go right through the armor and slice him open. He was sent flying, and landed hard on the ground. Everyone gasped from the hit, and watched in horror as Mirren lay on the ground riving in pain. Blackfang seemed happy at his success, but still snarled and kept his eyes on Mirren. The young boy tried to ignore his great pain, and slowly got himself up. Blackfang leapt at him once again, and crushed Mirren with his huge claw. Mirren lay on his stomach and roared in pain as the Blackfang's claws dug into his body.  
  
"MIRREEEEEEEN!!!!!!!" Link screamed.  
  
"No Mirren! Noooooooo!!!!!" Zelda screamed as tears formed in her eyes. Everyone gasped and froze in terror. Blackfang let out another roar, and kept his mouth open. He was then about to bring his jaws down onto Mirren's head, but Emralda suddenly lifted herelf up and threw her hand out. Blackfang instantly stopped moving, and stood with his mouth around Mirren's head.  
  
"No more Blackfang" she said, "I'll finish him now..." Everyone looked terrified as Emralda smiled so diabolically. Blackfang moved away from Mirren, and Emralda threw her staff out. The emerald began to glow, and she began to laugh evilly. "Now boy....you finally die!!!!!!" she yelled. She was then just about to shoot an energy bolt before a huge fireball crashed through one of the stain glass windows and hit her head on. She screamed in pain as it scorched her body, and was sent flying backwards. Everyone gasped and looked over to the broken window as Goldwing soared rough through it and into the room. Blackfang looked up at the great phoenix, and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Goldwing flew at the great panther and rammed into him as he racked him with his talons. Blackfang hollowed in pain as he felt the sharp talons right through his armor and cut his skin wide open. He was sent flying also, and landed hard on the ground underneath all the captives. All of their mouths dropped, and their eyes widened in shock at the sight of the huge golden bird. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
i"So the boy has a new companion huh....interesting..."/i he said to himself in his head. Blackfang groaned in pain, and slowly lifted himself up. Goldwing seemed to narrow his eyes, and flew at him with a screech. He landed in front of him, and smacked the giant panther across the face with one of his wings. Blackfang grunted in pain, and was knocked sideways for a second. Goldwing attacked again with his wing, but Blackfang saw it coming this time and dodged it. He lunged at him, and slashed the golden phoenix across the face. He screeched in pain, and was knocked down. Blackfang snarled at Goldwing, and jumped at him again to attack. Mirren could see Goldwing needed a little help, and quickly got up as he pulled out the Fire Diamond. He charged it up, and shot a blast of fire from it. It soared through the air, and finally hit Blackfang. He roared in pain as it burned his body and charred his great armor. He was stopped from attacking Goldwing, and was sent flying backwards from the fire. Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Finish him off Goldwing!!!!!" he yelled out. The golden phoenix lifted himself up, and began to hover in the air. He glared at Blackfang, and simply stared at him as he waited for the huge panther to get back up. Blackfang groaned in pain, and slowly lifted himself onto his feet. The panther finally was able to stand up; but only to his demise. Goldwing screeched, and shot a beam of fire from his mouth. It rocketed out and flew right at Blackfang until it finally hit him and burned him. He roared in agony, and his armor began to char even more as his skin was scorched. He was sent flying once again, and landed near Emralda. She finally lifted herself up, and almost fell back down when she saw Blackfang. She gasped, and couldn't believe it. He lay with his now mostly black armor and badly burnt skin. There were a few places on his body where almost all of the hair was burnt off, and it left nothing more but charred flesh. He still smoked, and Emralda was shocked to see her pet and protector dead. He mouth dropped, and she couldn't speak. Only gasps came out. She suddenly heard some energizing-type noise, and looked over at Goldwing. The great golden phoenix had wrapped his wings around Mirren, and they were glowing. Every watched in confusion as the great bird did this, and he soon finally removed his wings, revealing a completely healed Mirren. Emralda gasped again, and slowly backed off. Mirren glared at her.  
  
"You and everyone else are probably still wondering who this great bird is, so I'll tell you.." he began, "this is Goldwing. He is a golden phoenix, and was a companion of the Goddesses at one time. When I had met them once again, they gave me him as my new friend and protector, since you and Ganondorf killed Goldenfire. Now we fight together, as friends..." Emralda looked terrified, and Mirren now grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands. He narrowed his eyes. "Now Emralda....you die once and for all......" Emralda at first still looked afraid, but she soon narrowed her own eyes and screamed in rage.  
  
"Never!!!!" she yelled out, "I won't die to you once again boy!!!" The emerald at the top of her staff glowed, and began to continuously fire off energy bolt after bolt. Mirren narrowed his eyes again, and ran at Emralda. The bolts came flying at him, but he'd simply evade every single one. Emralda gritted her teeth, and began to fire more. Mirren realized it'd be incredibly hard now to dodge them, so he tightened his grip on his blade, and began to slash each bolt away. He kept on running, and Emralda kept on shooting energy bolts. But Mirren kept on slashing them away, and he was soon close enough to her, and just lunged at Emralda with a yell of fury. Emralda froze in terror, and stopped shooting the energy bolts; she knew her life was over. Mirren pulled the Goddesses' Sword back, and finally drove it through Emralda's stomach. She gasped from the pain as the sacred blade ran her through, and she felt her life-force slowly slip away. Everyone else watching (besides Ganondorf) gasped at the attack, and some turned away as Mirren stabbed Emralda so powerfully. Blood trickled from her mouth, and she lost her grip on her staff. Mirren finally pulled the blade out, revealing a terrible gash in her stomach, and a now bloody dress. The great amount of blood from this attack now began to turn her dark green robe a crimson red, and she staggered backwards over to the throne. Ganondorf smirked, and walked over to her. He still had his arms crossed as he walked, and he had an evil grin. He finally was right next to her, and she fell right into his arms. He cradled her from her waist up, but she still stood on her feet, Ganondorf only held her up. She looked up at him with her pale face, and an expression of pain and shock. "I'm sorry that I failed brother, I'm sorry that I let that boy disgrace us once again by killing me.....forgive me...." She whispered. Everyone now waited to see Ganondorf mourn again like he did before when she died, but he only smiled wickedly.  
  
"No...forgive me my sister.." he replied. Everyone looked confused, and gave off a flummoxed expression, including Emralda. Ganondorf smirked. "Yes, forgive me what I did" he began, "do you know why you were defeated so easily?" he asked. Mirren now realized he really didn't too much trouble against her in the fight, and also now realized how odd that was since she had so much power. Emralda shook her head even though she didn't understand anything. Ganondorf quietly laughed. "Well, that's because all of the power from the Sages, and Mirren's friends....went only to me..." Everyone gasped, and Emralda looked thunderstruck. Everyone's jaws dropped, and they looked as shocked as ever. Ganondorf smiled evilly. "That's right, the only bit of power you ever got was the Triforce of Wisdom, and that obviously wasn't enough to kill Mirren. Ya see my sister, if we split the powers equally, Mirren would've destroyed us too easily, but if only one of us got the power, and all of it, then he wouldn't stand a chance. And that's how it's going to be with me, because now, I'm taking the Triforce of Wisdom from you to this second." Suddenly Emralda's arm floated up into the air, and her hand glowed. The Triforce of Wisdom appeared, and it slowly lifted itself out of her hand. Ganondorf smiled sinisterly, and he grabbed the Triforce piece. It made its way into his hand, and soon the three regular pieces of the Triforce formed on the back of his hand. He laughed wickedly. "I'm sorry I had to do this my sister...but only the strongest deserve to live, and today that's me..." He laughed again, and Emralda still looked at him shocked. But she finally closed her eyes, and her head fell back as her body went limp. Ganondorf smiled evilly, and placed her down on the floor. He stood up, and still looked down at his dead sister with the same evil grin. Mirren narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth.  
  
"You sick, evil, disgusting fool Ganondorf...." he whispered, "how could you ever do such a terrible thing to your own sister....?" Ganondorf looked up at him and smirked.  
  
"Do you really think it didn't hurt me to do that?" he asked, "well it did boy; it was hard for me to do that. But I had to, because this is a world where the only the strongest survive, and she was no where near close in that category. Mirren looked enraged.  
  
"You fool!!!" he screamed, "even if you wouldn't be stronger, you should never do anything like that to your own flesh and blood!!!! A sibling relationship should be treasured by both people. It doesn't matter if they're brother and sister, sister and sister, or brother and brother, the point is you're family, close as can be...and you just totally ignored that and killed your own sister you sick freak!!!!" Nepsana looked just as angry as Mirren, and so did all the other captives.  
  
"She would've never had done anything like that ever to you Ganondorf!!" she yelled.  
  
"You have no remorse or sorrow for your dead sister even when you were the main cause of it, you have no heart Ganondorf!!" Saria said.  
  
"She loved you as a brother Ganondorf, and stuck by your side the whole time, and this is how you repay her!!??" Nabooru shouted.  
  
"Mirren's right, a sibling relationship is a special treasure that both people should be happy about and try to keep it together, and all you did was take advantage of it to get more power!!" Zelda exclaimed. Ganondorf took all the cusses and insults without showing barely any emotion or anger. But he soon smiled evilly and let out an evil laugh.  
  
"Ha!! You all may be right, but you must remember that I am the true evil of Hyrule, and when it comes to my glory of killing all of you and being the strongest being in Hyrule, not even family can get in the way!!" he replied.  
  
"You deserve to die Ganondorf!!!" Link screamed.  
  
"Yeah!! And I'll be the one to make sure that happens!!" Mirren added. Ganondorf smirked, and laughed wickedly once again. He laughed for a good few seconds, but finally stopped as he looked at Mirren. He seemed amused by his words.  
  
"Heh, you talk big kid, surprisingly considering how small you are" he countered. Mirren narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, but Ganondorf still smiled wickedly. "So, you say you're gonna kill me and save all your friends huh? Well then..let's see you actually do it..." Ganondorf now grinned, and showed the back of his hand to Mirren. The three regular pieces of the Triforce appeared on it, and he screamed with power. Huge gusts of wind were created, and he surrounded by a pillar of black energy. The ground beneath him began to crack a little, and so did a lot of the windows. Soon, he unleashed so much power that the widows shattered, and everyone gasped at Ganondorf's awesome. Mirren watched as he powered up and gathered all of his energy, and he realized now what Ganondorf was doing. The Scourge of Hyrule let out one more yell, and he began to change. His blood red hair turned into fire, and so did his red eyes. His green skin darkened, and his huge muscles bulged even more. His black and blue armor grew darker, and the black of it was like the night dark. On his arms grew out a line of small, short black spikes, from the sides of his wrists all the way to his shoulders. Then up there, a huge curved bone sprouted on each shoulder. Finally a great battle sword appeared in his hand. Unlike before, it wasn't his normal arched one. This time it was different. It was a one -edged sword, with a flat but still sharp left side, and then a full edged right side. He finally stopped screaming, and looked at Mirren with an evil smile. Mirren froze, and couldn't believe he was seeing Ganondorf's ultimate form once again. Everyone else also looked terrified, and were very afraid for Mirren, and themselves. Suddenly, the doors to the throne opened, and the three Goddesses ran in, only to stop and also gasp at Ganondorf.  
  
"No...it's Shadow Ganondorf..." Farore whispered. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"That's right Goddess of Courage!" he exclaimed, "It's me again in my Shadow Ganondorf form!! Heh, this was actually what practically killed Link and Goldenfire last time. And also what almost killed you Mirren. But this time is gonna be different, I have all of your friends and Sages powers, along with three pieces of the Triforce. I'm right now probably five times the strength of last time, and easily more than triple your power Mirren. Heck, I'm even more powerful than the Goddesses." Din narrowed her eyes.  
  
"You may be Ganondorf!!! But we're still gonna help Mirren fight you!!" she yelled.  
  
"Yes, and Goldwing will be helping also!! We'll fight you together!!" she shouted.  
  
"We'll defeat you as a team Ganondorf, once and for all!!" added Farore. Ganondorf smiled evilly.  
  
"But that wouldn't be a fair fight my friends" he replied, "this is between me and Mirren, and I'll make sure of that...right now.." Ganondorf grinned, and suddenly shot two fireballs from his eyes. They flew through the air, and hit Goldwing. He screeched in burn as they burned him, and he finally fell backwards unconscious. Mirren gasped, and so did everyone else.  
  
"Goldwing! No!" he shouted. Ganondorf smiled and lifted his hand up.  
  
"Now for the Goddesses...." he said, and shot three bolts of dark energy from his hand. They all went flying at the Goddesses, and they all froze. The bolts finally hit them, and they all screamed in pain. It pounded them with power, and they all collapsed also.  
  
"Din! Farore! Nayru!!" Mirren yelled. Ganondorf put his hand down, and smiled at Mirren. The boy finally turned back to him, and looked terrified. Ganondorf grinned.  
  
"Now it's your turn kid..." he stated, and flew at Mirren. The boy froze, and watched in fear as the Scourge of Hyrule came closer to him. He was finally right by him, and Ganondorf punched Mirren straight across the face. Mirren grunted from the hit, and was sent skidding across the floor. He finally stopped, and groaned in pain from the hit. He clutched his throbbing cheek, and tried to pull himself up. Ganondorf smiled, and advanced towards Mirren. He watched Ganondorf out of the corner of his eye, and realized he let his guard down. He looked up in a split second and screamed as he shot a blast of energy from the Goddesses' Sword. It flew straight at Shadow Ganondorf, and he simply smacked it away without even looking at it. It soared across the room, and exploded against one of the walls. Everyone watching gasped, and Mirren's eyes widened in shock and fear. His mouth dropped, and he slowly backed off. Ganondorf smiled evilly, and pointed his sword at Mirren. "Let me show you a true sword blast" he said, and shot a beam of energy from the sword. Mirren had no time to dodge it or block it, and he was hit head on. He yelled out in pain, and smashed into the wall hard. He groaned in pain, and fell forward. Ganondorf flew at him, and gave him a vicious uppercut with his sword. Mirren flew straight up into the air, and hung up there for a second. He finally fell down, and Ganondorf reared his fist back. Right before Mirren was about to hit the ground, Shadow Ganondorf's fist collided with Mirren's stomach. Mirren's eyes widened in shock and pain, and he only gasped from the hit. Everyone watching looked horrified, and most of the girls put their hands over their mouths. Mirren hung over Shadow Ganondorf's fist, and the Scourge of Hyrule smiled. He spun around, and threw Mirren across the room. The small boy literally flew without wings, and soon smashed into the ground. He lay there groaning from the great pain he had already suffered only minutes into the fight, and couldn't believe the power Ganondorf possessed. Even though he was hurting, he somehow picked himself up, and managed to get on his feet. He breathed heavily from the fatigue and pain, and Ganondorf still smiled diabolically.  
  
i"Man, just four attacks and I feel like I got hit by a boulder"/i he said to himself in his head, i"he's so God-darned strong! How the heck am I even gonna get one hit in when he's this much more powerful than me!?"/i Mirren pondered for a moment, and realized what he had said before. i"I said before I was gonna fight until I was dead, and I was going to use every single bit of energy and power in my body to defeat him and save everyone.....and I guess that's what I'm gonna do!! Mirren screamed in fury, and rushed at Shadow Ganondorf as he grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands. Ganondorf smirked, and got in a battle position as he also grasped his sword with both hands. Mirren finally came at him, and went for a vertical slash. Ganondorf simply lifted up his blade and blocked the shot. Mirren gritted his teeth, and went for a slash. Again, Ganondorf blocked the attack. Mirren began to grow irritated, and Shadow Ganondorf was only amused by Mirren's anger. The boy reared back, and performed a great slice across Ganondorf. But once again, the great blade was raised up, and Shadow Ganondorf blocked the attack. He smiled, and finally did his own attack. He did a cut right across Mirren's left arm. He screamed in pain, and clutched his arm. It was cut open, and blood began to pour out. Mirren fell to his knees as he rived in pain, and Shadow Ganondorf simply stuck his hand out in front of him. Mirren forgot about his pain for a second, and finally looked up at Ganondorf's hand. It was glowing, and Ganondorf smiled sinisterly. He finally shot a blast of dark energy from it, and Mirren was hit at point blank range. Even through the explosion of the energy, Mirren's scream of pain was heard, and he was finally seen flying out of the great illumination smoking from the energy. He landed on the ground, and groaned in pain. Everyone gasped, and a couple tears formed in Zelda's eyes. They all watched as Mirren just lay on the ground riving in pain, and Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"That's probably it" he stated, "I doubt he'll be getting up from that..." Suddenly Ganondorf looked surprised, and Mirren slowly got up. He pulled himself onto his feet using the Goddesses' Sword, and he glared at Ganondorf.  
  
"Well your doubt was wrong..." he countered sharply. Everyone was shocked to see Mirren get right back up, but were happy he was still fighting. Ganondorf now no longer looked surprised, in fact, he smirked.  
  
"Well, you certainly don't know when to go stay down kid...pretty impressive actually.." he replied. Mirren narrowed his eyes, and flew at Shadow Ganondorf. His arm was still wounded, but the bleeding mostly stopped, and he just ignored it. He did a jumping slash, and Ganondorf did the same. Their swords hit each other, and created a great shine of light that actually lit up the still somewhat dark room for a second. They grappled, and finally pulled their weapons back. They rushed at each other, and began to do attack after attack after attack at each other. Ganondorf easily blocked his shots, and retaliated with incredibly powerful blows. But even though he was still over-powered, and wounded, Mirren kept on blocking his own shots and dishing it right back. Everyone watched as they kept on fighting, and were amazed at what had already happened.  
  
"I'm still so surprised how Mirren is fighting like he never had any of those wounds, a normal kid his age would be dead by now..and he's so small too!" exclaimed Ruto.  
  
"Just because he's small doesn't mean he can't fight Ruto" corrected Rauru, "that boy may be small, but his heart is probably bigger than Hyrule itself!"  
  
"Yeah, but will heart be enough to pull himself back up and defeat Shadow Ganondorf?" Ruto asked. Saria shook her head.  
  
"I have no idea, and probably does no one else" she answered, "it may be, but it may not. Mirren might need more power to defeat Ganondorf still, but maybe his courage and huge heart may be enough to defeat him..." Taursus looked a little skeptical.  
  
"As much as I hoped it'd go that way, I think Mirren is in trouble" he said, "he hasn't gotten a single hit in already, and Shadow Ganondorf has already annihilated him!! I'm not losing confidence in him and saying he's definitely gonna lose, but he's got one heck of a challenge if he had any chance of winning!!" Darunia narrowed his eyes and looked serious.  
  
"He's right everyone" he added, "my sworn little brother is strong and very brave, but he's really got the fight of life right now. His chances of winning aren't that great.." Darunia's grim words really depressed mostly everyone at that moment, except for mainly one person. Zelda stood up in her crystal prison and narrowed her eyes.  
  
"I know he has a great chance of losing...but I'm still putting every bit of confidence in him!" she began, "Mirren has overcome incredible odds to get here, and has fought enemies like no other...and every time he's won. He may be fighting a losing battle at the moment, but I know he'll find some way to win no matter what happens.....he will win!!!" Everyone looked a little surprised by Zelda's words, but Malon also narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Zelda's right, Mirren may be in deep trouble, but we gotta put all of our faith in him!" she exclaimed, "because if we don't it's really like he's fighting to save us for nothing. We're what keep him going, and as his best friends and loved ones, we have to believe in him and hope he wins!!!" Everyone nodded, and looked very serious as they looked back at the battle, which was still going on.  
  
"Come on Mirren! You can do it!" Rauru shouted.  
  
"Keep on fightin' kid don't give up!!" Mardera yelled. As everyone cheered Mirren on and tried to pump him up, Link watched silently. He hadn't said anything for a while, and simply stood in his crystal prison watching the battle and thinking as every conversed around him. Teerlis looked at him.  
  
"Do you think he really can win Link?" he asked. Link didn't turn back to him. He still stood watching the battle for a few seconds, before finally shaking his head.  
  
"I don't know Teerlis...I just don't know.." he answered, "right now Mirren is in the fight of his life, and his chances of winning and saving all of us are extremely low. Shadow Ganondorf is probably triple his power, and has already nearly destroyed him. Mirren seriously might not win this one, his chances of winning are really like a million to one.....but no matter what, there's still a chance, and I'm going to believe in him all the way to still somehow overcome the great odds and win...." Teerlis nodded.  
  
"That's the way to think Link" he replied, "You're probably Mirren's best encourager. You're his only living family member, his closest friend, the one he looks up to, the one he probably loves the most. If there's anyone who he needs the most right now to believe in him..it's you.." Link nodded, and knew Teerlis was right. They then looked back at the battle, and watched.  
  
Mirren seemed to be growing tired, and was now just barely blocking and dodging Shadow Ganondorf's attacks. His blows were getting slower, and less powerful by the second, and Ganondorf realized he now had the edge. He smiled evilly, and kicked Mirren in the stomach. Mirren collapsed to his knees, and groaned as he clutched his hurt stomach. Ganondorf then gasped his great sword with both hands, and slashed Mirren across the face. The boy flew sideways, and finally hit the ground. Everyone gasped from the hit, and were worried now that Mirren wouldn't get up. He lay on the ground motionless, and didn't make a sound. Ganondorf smiled.  
  
"Try and get up from that one boy...." he announced. Everyone watching looked afraid now. Mirren still wasn't moving, and it looked as if he really was dead.  
  
"Mirren...you can't be dead..." Zelda whispered. And he wasn't. Amazingly, Mirren somehow pulled himself up, and managed to get on his own two feet. Everyone looked surprised, but were still relieved that the battle wasn't over just yet. Mirren stood breathing hard from his exhaustion and pain, and he now had a bloody cut on his right cheek. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"Well, still alive huh, wow, you can certainly get up from almost anything as long as it doesn't kill ya..." He said. Mirren narrowed his eyes. He balled up his fist, and wiped away the blood on his cheek with a slow movement. He then took his sword, and surprisingly put it away in its scabbard. Everyone looked surprised, and confused at that. Even Shadow Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at Mirren's actions. The boy then put one hand into his pocket as he glared at Ganondorf.  
  
"Ganondorf, you may be stronger than me, and you may have gotten a heck of a lot more blows in on me......but now you die!!!!!!" he screamed. He then pulled out the three legendary diamonds and held them together as he charged them up. Everyone watching gasped, and Ganondorf froze. He trembled a little, and lightning ripped through the sky and illuminated the throne room. Mirren screamed as he charged up the Ice, Fire, and Thunder Diamonds, and he finally let out one great yell of fury as he finally unleashed the blasts. Ganondorf watched as they still got closer, and only stood frozen in fear. They finally hit, and there was a great explosion of all three powers. Tons of huge ice crystals went flying everywhere, and the room actually seemed to get colder. There was an eruption of fire, and it illuminated, as well as heated up the room. Finally there was a great explosion from the thunderbolt. It was like no other, and shook everything. Everyone watched from their crystals as they saw the three powers destroy Shadow Ganondorf, and they all lit up with joy once the blasts stopped. There was still a ton of smoke, and Mirren stood breathing heavily. He had used a great deal of power on that attack, and he was already fatigued and tired. The smoke began to clear quickly, and Mirren began to give a sigh of relief....but he suddenly gasped, and his mouth dropped as his eyes widened in shock and fear. Everyone else froe, and looked like they had seen a ghost. The smoke fully cleared, and there stood Shadowm Ganondorf, with not even a scratch on him. He was smiling wickedly, and right at Mirren. The boy was frozen in terror, and he trembled as he dropped the three diamonds.  
  
"Well boy, how do you feel now that you've seen such a powerful attack not even phase me?" he asked mockingly, "does it anger you? Does it surprise you? Or wait, it scares you doesn't it? It frightens you to know now that even an attack of that great power can't hurt me. You're even more afraid now that you'll lose, and die because you were too weak compared to me..." Mirren looked terrified, and trembled even more. Ganondorf grinned diabolically, and flew at Mirren. Mirren was still unarmed, but it didn't matter, he was still too frightened to move. Shadow Ganondorf lunged, and did a vertical slash across Mirren's body. He yelled out in pain, and Ganondorf threw his hand out. It glowed, and he smiled evilly. He finally shot out a dark energy bolt, and Mirren was hit head on. He screamed in pain again, and was sent flying into the wall hard. It actually cracked a little, and Mirren groaned in pain as he slowly fell off the wall. He landed on the hard stone floor face first, and just lay rejuvenating from the massive attack. Ganondorf smiled wickedly. "Ya know, I think this room could use a little more light" he said, and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the torches and lanterns brightened, and illuminated the room a little more. It was no longer all that dark, and Shadow Ganondorf smiled as he looked around. "That's more like it" he stated. As he gazed around, Mirren took advantage of the situation and pulled out the Goddesses' Sword. He sprang up, and lunged at Ganondorf with a yell of fury.  
  
"Take this Ganondorf!!!" he shouted, and held the Goddesses' Sword behind his head. He came down, and did a jumping slash attack. Shadow Ganondorf was taken by surprise at first, but as Mirren came down with his blade, he grinned, and jumped backwards. The Goddesses' Sword came crashing down, but only cut through the air and smashed into the stone floor. It dug right in, and split it open. Mirren gritted his teeth, and pulled it out as he glared at Shadow Ganondorf, who was now smiling.  
  
"My my, a little anxious to fight back I see" he replied in a jeering tone, "that wasn't very noble or warrior-like of you ya know. Attacking a distracted opponent..." Mirren narrowed his eyes.  
  
"I have respect for all of my opponents, but as far as I'm concerned I consider you my worst enemy, and that is no being I could have respect for..." He countered sharply. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
"Heh, you certainly hate me, don't you boy?" he asked.  
  
"You're darn right ya sick devil!!" Mirren yelled back, "you killed three of my best friends, captured every living one, took their energy, and you're using it to try and kill me, and then you're gonna kill them and conquer Hyrule if you succeed. You even betrayed your own sister....I despise you Ganondorf...." The Scourge of Hyrule grinned.  
  
"Well, you're obviously a little angry" he said, "but let's see how angry you stay when you see your friends suffer.....after all, you always break down and cry when that happens...." Mirren still glared at him, but looked a little curious once Shadow Ganondorf lifted his hand up towards Zelda and Link. He smiled sinisterly, and balled his hand up. Suddenly numerous lightning bolts began to zap Zelda and Link in their crystals, and they both screamed in pain. Everyone else in their crystals, gasped, and watched in terror, as they roared in pain from the great power in the bolts. The pain coursed through their body, and Ganondorf began to laugh diabolically. Mirren watched in horror as he two most loved people suffered so greatly, and tears formed in his eyes. The bolts keep on shooting into their bodies, and they kept screaming from the intense pain and power.  
  
"Link!!!!" Malon yelled.  
  
"Zelda!!! Noooooo!!!!" Impa shouted. Everyone watched as Link and Zelda still endured the great punishment of pain, and were horrified by the sight. Mirren still had a few tears in his eyes, and he gazed as his brother and his crush got annihilated with energy. Suddenly he felt something inside of him snap, and all of his tears suddenly dried up. His eyes lit up with rage and he screamed in pure anger.  
  
"Stop iiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, and unleashed a great deal of energy. Ganondorf stopped laughing, and froze as he saw Mirren unleash a great amount of power. Huge gusts of wind blew out from him, and the room shook a little. Mirren pointed the Goddesses' Sword at Shadow Ganondorf, and it blued blue. The Scourge of Hyrule gasped in terror, and trembled. Mirren's eyes were still filled with rage, and he gave Ganondorf a terrible glare. He finally screamed again, and shot a huge beam of energy from his blade. Ganondorf realized he was in trouble, and was able to lift up his cape just in time. But even with that, the beam still struck him, and annihilated him with great power as it sent him flying straight into the wall. He crashed right into it, and he dented it as his body hit it and smashed it. There was an incredible gust of wind from this attack, and the explosion lit up the entire room. The lightning bolts finally stopped hitting Link and Zelda, and they both fell in their prisons as they began to rest from their pain and fatigue. The smoke began to clear, and Mirren watched as he breathed heavily from exhaustion. He was no longer super enraged, and had calmed down to his normal mode. Everyone else also watched as they waited to see if Ganondorf was still alive. The smoke finally cleared, and it revealed Ganondorf still in the wall, covered up by his cape. Mirren narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands, and jumped at Shadow Ganondorf as he held his blade behind his head. "Die once and for all you fool!!!" he shouted, and befan to come down. He was about to do a perfect jumping slash, but Ganondorf suddenly uncovered himself and grinned evilly at Mirren. He shot two fireballs from his eyes, and both hit Mirren. He screamed in pain as they burned him, and sent him flying. He landed hard on the ground, and lay riving in pain. Ganondorf got on the floor, and stepped forward.  
  
"That was a nice attack before kid, you had me worried for a second..." He began, "but of course it wasn't enough to kill me. And that last stunt you just pulled was absolutely pathetic. You were a fool attacking me so blindly, you should've thought that move over...." Mirren groaned, and lifted himself up. He first pulled his head up, and slowly got up on his feet. Ganondorf smiled devilishly. He pointed his sword at Mirren. "Now....die boy.." he said, and shot a lighting bolt from the sword. It rocketed out of it, and soared at Mirren through the air. He froze in terror, and it finally went right through him. It hit his stomach, and ended up flying out of the other side. Everyone gasped, and watched on in horror. Mirren's eyes widened in shock and pain, and he kept on gasping. He trembled and staggered, and his face began to grow pale. Tears formed in almost everyone's as they watched this happened, and they were all afraid he would die. Their fear was correct. Mirren finally dropped the Goddesses' Sword, and fell to his knees. He stood on them for a few seconds, and finally fell forward as he closed his eyes. Zelda felt her heart literally be crushed as she saw this.  
  
"Mirreeeeeeeeeennnnnnn!!!!!!!" she screamed as tears poured out of her eyes. She fell to her knees, and began to sob. Everyone was silent. They were all shocked and horrified at what just happened. Saria, Ruto, Nepsana, and Malon also had tears in their eyes, and all the others also looked as if they were on the verge of crying. Amazingly, Mardera and Nabooru also had a tear or two in their eyes. Darunia and Rauru's face looked as sad and sorrowful as ever, and the two big men bowed their heads as they closed their eyes. Teerlis couldn't believe he had just seen Mirren die, and felt terrible, but he felt even worse when he took one look at Link. He was only his knees, his face pale, his mouth open but silent, and tears rolling down his cheeks. Link felt his heart snap in half only a few seconds ago. And for the first time in his life; the Hero of Time began to sob. As Link and Zelda sobbed, and all the others mourned, Ganondorf smiled wickedly. He finally let out a sinister laugh.  
  
"Ha! I've finally done it!!" he yelled, "I knew it!!! I knew I'd eventually kill that boy!!! And I just did it!! Ha ha ha!! I knew that with these awesome powers I would outmatch that foolish boy and finish his life off once and for all!!! Yes, my mission is a success! I've become the most powerful being in Hyrule, the birthday tomorrow is ruined, I will soon conquer Hyrule, I will soon kill all of his friends..but most of all; I've finally killed Mirren and got my revenge!!!!" Ganondorf began laughing again, and everyone sobbed and mourned even more for the dead Mirren.  
  
But suddenly, his hand glowed, and a golden upside triangle appeared on his hand. His whole body then began to glow gold, and Shadow Ganondorf instantly stopped laughing. It kept on glowing, and eventually everyone else stopped crying and mourning. This all looked over at the dead Mirren, and the great hole in his body began to heal. It filled up and up and up and soon it was completely regenerated. His cape was also fixed, and suddenly, Mirren lifted his head up. Everyone gasped, and Ganondorf couldn't believe what he was seeing. Mirren, still glowing, then got on his knees, and grabbed the Goddesses' Sword. He stood up on his own two feet, and glared at Shadow Ganondorf as he held up his hand with the back facing Ganondorf. The Scourge of Hyrule was frozen in terror...Mirren was alive.  
  
"That was a big mistake Ganondorf.." he began, "and it'll be your downfall in this final battle. You see, once that lightning bolt went right through me, I knew I was gonna die right away. And that's what enraged me enough. Because I knew I had failed and that you'd succeed, I became angry enough to use the Triforce of Justice and rejuvenate myself." Everyone watching were completely shocked, and couldn't believe what Mirren had done. He narrowed his eyes at Shadow Ganondorf. "Prepare to be finished off once and for all..." Mirren said, and screamed in fury and rage as he powered up. He glowed even more, and great gusts of wind blew from him as the ground began to crack beneath him. Suddenly three beams of energy were shot at Ganondorf. They all hit him, and enveloped him with their power as they annihilated him with great energy. There was a green one, a blue one, and a red one. Everyone except Mirren looked over to see that it was none other than the Goddesses, and Shadow Ganondorf screamed in pain.  
  
"The Goddesses are back..." Zelda whispered. Din narrowed her eyes and looked up at everyone in their crystal prisons.  
  
"It is time we finally kill Ganondorf!" she shouted, "but first we must free you all!" She concentrated on power for a second, and soon all the crystal chambers shattered into countless pieces, and everyone slowly floated down to the ground. Nayru now narrowed her eyes and looked over at the Sages, Mardera, Taursus, and Nepsana.  
  
"All of you..receive your powers back!!" she yelled, and yelled out as she concentrated on removing their powers from Ganondorf. Her eyes lit up blue, and was finally able to do it. The energies slowly floated out, and Shadow Ganondorf screamed again. They floated over to their owners, and went back inside of them. Everything was almost complete, only a couple more things were need. Farore had been charging up and concentrating her power the whole time, and looked over at Link and Zelda.  
  
"Link! Zelda! Receive you Triforce pieces once again!!" she shouted, and yelled out as she commenced the plan. Ganondorf kept on screaming, and rived in pain as he felt the Triforce powers get pulled out from him. The two Triforce parts floated out of his hand, and went over to their owners. Link and Zelda took their pieces in, and began to charge up. Even though he was in great pain and was still being hurt, Shadow Ganondorf looked at the Goddesses and held up his hand with his back facing them.  
  
"I still have the Triforce of Power you fools!! Take this!!" he yelled out, and was about to power up before suddenly a blue beam of energy came flying at him and went through his upper chest. He gasped in pain as it soared right through him just like with Mirren, and was forced to stop his attack. Everyone looked to where it came from, and saw Link pointing the Master Sword at him. He glared at Ganondorf and sneered.  
  
"That's for what you did to me and Zelda before..." he said scornfully. Farore narrowed her eyes and looked very serious.  
  
"Link! Zelda!" she shouted, "use both of your Triforce pieces and remove the Triforce of Power from Ganondorf!!!" Link and Zelda looked over at Farore, and nodded. They turned back to Shadow Ganondorf, and narrowed their eyes. They powered up, and threw their right hands out. They both glowed with their great energy, and their Triforce pieces appeared in the air. Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom glowed blue, and Link's Triforce of Courage glowed green. They both screamed, a beam of energy shot out from the Triforces. They both struck Shadow Ganondorf's right hand, and he roared in pain. Link and Zelda both concentrated harder, and they powered up even more. Ganondorf kept screaming, and felt the Triforce of Power slowly slip out of him. It finally did, and the third Triforce piece floated out of his, and went over to Link and Zelda, who had stopped their attacks. Din looked over at them.  
  
"Hold on to that for a little while!" she yelled, "we've got one last thing to do!!!" She looked at Nayru and Farore, and they all looked at each other. They all looked very serious, and their eyes were narrow. They nodded, and stopped their attacks. The energy beams stopped, and Shadow Ganondorf staggered from the incredible pain and fatigue. Farore looked over at the still powering up Mirren.  
  
"Finish him off Mirren!" she shouted, "defeat Ganondorf once and for all to bring peace to Hyrule and all of us!!!" Mirren didn't acknowledge her, but Farore knew he was inside. He let out one final scream, and unleashed all of his power. The ground beneath him shattered, and the whole room shook. The gargoyle and demon statues all broke apart, and turned into rubble, along with the torches and lanterns. Finally Mirren's immense pillar of energy around him broke through the ceiling, and destroyed a good part of it. The remaining pieces fell, but were destroyed on the way down from Mirren's power. He grasped the Goddesses' Sword with both hands, and glared at a terrified Ganondorf. He flew at him, and jumped up into the air as he held the Goddesses' Sword be hind his head. Everyone watched as Mirren performed the final blow, and Ganondorf also stared at the boy helplessly. Mirren screamed in rage, and finally brought his blade down on Ganondorf's face. It sliced right through it, and Ganondorf stood frozen in pain as blood began to pour from the great gash. He groaned once, and finally fell backwards dead. Mirren landed, and stayed on his knees as everyone looked on at the dead Ganondorf, and the victorious Mirren. Everything was silent, and Mirren finally got up. The Triforce of Justice still glowed on his hand, but he was no longer enraged. He looked down at Ganondorf, and saw the great amount of blood coming out from the wound on his entire face. He took his red cape off, and knelt down. He placed it on Ganondorf's head, and stood up. Everything was still silent, and everyone watching waited for Mirren to do something else. He just stood looking down at Ganondorf silently also, but finally turned around and looked at his friends and loved ones. He smiled, and everyone lit up with joy and happiness knowing he was finally victorious. Everyone began to celebrate and comfort each other from the whole ordeal. Mardera and Taursus walked over to Mirren.  
  
"Nice job as always kid, coming back at the last second, just like before" Taursus said. Mirren smirked and laughed a little.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I really ijust/i pulled this one off" he replied.  
  
"Feh, that's just an understatement Mirren!" Mardera exclaimed. The three all found the joke pretty funny, and laughed. And it was even funnier for Mirren considering it was practically true! They all laughed for a few moments, and Mirren noticed Teerlis and Nepsana helping out a shaken up Malon. Mirren smiled and walked over to them. Terrlis held her up, and Nepsana stayed by their side. Malon had a couple tears in her eyes, and still seemed to be recovering from everything a bit. She sniffed, and finally saw Mirren standing in front of her smiling as usual.  
  
"You okay Malon?" he asked. Malon sniffed again, and wiped away her remaining tears. She nodded.  
  
"Yes, I'm okay" she answered, "it was just so terrifying being taken away from the ranch and being brought here again. But I can always count you to save me. Thanks Mirren." Teerlis rolled his eyes.  
  
"Her she goes again, flattering up this kid and ignoring me her boyfriend" he said, "hey, does this happen with you Link and Zelda also?" Mirren looked a little embarrassed for a second, and Nepsana looked a little curious.  
  
"Mirren has a crush on Zelda?" she asked. His face went red, and Malon Teerlis and Nepsana all laughed.  
  
"Umm.well I kinda..uhh.it's that..oh shut up" he spat back humorously though. They all laughed once again, but laughed even more. This time Mirren actually joined in. They all laughed together, and Mirren noticed the Sages walking up to him. They all smiled.  
  
"Well, you've done it once again Mirren" began Rauru, "you defeated Ganondorf and Emralda, and saved us all. Those two evil fools are finally destroyed, and will never be able to return to Hyrule. Nice job." Mirren smiled at him  
  
"Yeah, you won once again, even when your odds were a million to one!" Darunia exclaimed, "That's my sworn little brother!" Impa crossed her arms and also smiled down at Mirren.  
  
"Yes, but I think now there's two people you should see right now...." she stated, and all the Sages moved sideways revealing both Link and Zelda, smiling at Mirren. He looked a little surprised at first, but it was a pleasant surprise. His mouth dropped a little, and couldn't believe they were alright. He really hadn't noticed they were still alright after Ganondorf's attack, because he was still powering up, and he thought they were still hurt.  
  
"You don't have to worry Mirren..we're alright" Link said. Mirren still looked shocked, and everybody smiled at the moment. Tears formed in Mirren's eyes, and he fell forward at Link. His older brother caught him, and held him as Mirren cried in his chest. He sobbed from the terrible time when he saw them suffer so greatly, and also in happiness that they were still alright. Link looked down at him, and could only smile. Zelda did the same, and eventually put her arms around Mirren and kind of hugged him also. Everyone was smiling still. Even though Mirren was crying, they knew how happy he was that they were still alive. It was a happy moment all around.  
  
"Ya know Mirren, I think we should be the ones crying" Zelda began, "after all, you did practically die right before ours eyes..." Mirren pulled his head out of Link's chest, and sniffed as he wiped away his tears. He looked up at them both and smiled a little.  
  
"Yeah, but it was just terrible for me to see you guys get hurt so badly" he replied, "I thought you two were gonna die. And I could just never be able to see my two favorite people do that." Link and Zelda smiled at him, and both hugged him and held him close. Everyone smiled again at three, and were happy they were all alright and happy as ever to be together. Farore stepped forward.  
  
"I believe we should all send you back home now" she announced, "We'll deal with the citadel and Ganondorf's body. You all go back and live your lives in peace." Link and Zelda looked at her as they and stopped hugging Mirren.  
  
"Hold on, what should we do with the Triforce of Power Din?" Link asked.  
  
"Yes, you told us to hold onto it until we killed Ganondorf" Zelda added. Din smirked and nodded.  
  
"Yes I know" she replied, "and I know what we're gonna do with it. We're gonna send all of you to the Temple of Time. We'll want you guys to put the Triforce of Power back into the Triforce above the Door of Time. That way no one would ever know that's one of the real pieces, and it'll be safe. Right now I have really no person that I believe is strong enough to possess it. So for now we'll keep it safe." Impa smiled.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea" she said. Din turned to her.  
  
"I know, now everyone get together" she spoke, "we're gonna send you to the Temple of Time." They all nodded, and everyone bunched together.  
  
"Wait! Goldwing!" exclaimed Mirren. At that moment the great phoenix flew over by everyone and settled down next to them. Mirren smiled at his companion, and Nayru did the same.  
  
"Perfect timing" she said, "we'll see you all there. Goodbye my friends." Suddenly a blue ring of light surrounded everyone, and it began to form a pillar around them. The Goddesses smiled at all the friends, and they soon disappeared from the throne room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The blue ring of light appeared in the Temple of Time, and everyone finally appeared in it. It glowed a little, and finally went away. Link and Zelda both instantly walked over to the alter as everyone stood back and watched. They stood right before it, and looked up at the Triforce engraving. They held their hands up, and the Triforce of Power appeared above them. It slowly spun around, and glowed as it floated up to its space. It went right in, and caused the whole thing to light up with a golden color. They both slowly took their hands down, and smiled. They turned around, and walked over to everyone else.  
  
"Well, let's go back guys" Link said. Mirren smiled at him.  
  
"Not yet" he replied, "don't you remember? The Goddesses said they'd meet us here." Link pondered Mirren's words for a few seconds and finally remembered they had said that.  
  
"Oh right!" he exclaimed, "I can't believe I forgot!"  
  
"It's alright Link, don't worry" a tough sounding feminine voice said behind him. He and Zelda turned around, and saw the Goddesses hovering before them as they smiled.  
  
"Nice job you two, you put the Triforce of Power right where it should be" Farore began, "now, it is finally time for all of you to go back." She now looked at Mirren. "Because of you Mirren, Ganondorf and Emralda are defeated, they have been rid of this peaceful land forever now. You can all now live your lives happily with them gone; no more evil shall ever threaten Hyrule again. All of you go home, and regain your lost time with this whole ordeal. And Mirren and Zelda, celebrate your birthday together and with all of your friends and loved ones in peace. Make sure it is the best one of your lives." They both smiled back at Farore, and nodded.  
  
"We will Farore, we will" Zelda replied.  
  
"Yes, I'll make sure of that" Mirren added. Farore nodded back at him, and looked at everyone else.  
  
"Now everyone, I think you should all stay at Hyrule Castle tonight. After all you'll all probably be there tomorrow for most of the day with the party, so kinda have a sleepover in a way!" Saria smiled, but had a question.  
  
"That is a very nice idea, but shouldn't the ones of us who have other homes go back and tell everyone there we're alright?" she asked. Din smiled at the Kokiri Sage.  
  
"Don't worry about it, we'll make sure we tell everyone that you guys are alright.." She replied. Link smiled at them, and turned around.  
  
"Well guys..let's go!" he exclaimed. Everyone smiled and nodded, and they began to leave the Temple of Time and go back to Hyrule Castle. Mirren was the last to leave, but Nayru stopped him.  
  
"Oh yes Mirren, I guess you could say Goldwing was like a birthday gift from us, but you still have one more coming, and I'm sure you, Link, and Zelda will all like it" she stated. Mirren turned around with a smile and nodded.  
  
"Okay Nayru, I gotcha" he replied. The Goddess of Wisdom smiled at the boy.  
  
"And make sure you try and bring Zelda and Link together, and don't forget to give her that necklace you spent all your rupees on.." She said. Mirren blushed a little, and still smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, I promise not to..." he said back. Zelda then walked back into the Temple of Time.  
  
"Ya comin' Mirren?" she asked. Mirren turned around, and ran over to her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm coming" he answered, and she smiled at him. They both then left the Temple of Time, but Mirren turned around and got one last look at the three Goddesses before he exited it; truly three of his best friends.  
  
Author's Notes: Wow, this one definitely deserves a WOOO!!! So..WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Well, this was it everybody, the final battle, and the second last chapter. I'm almost finished with the entire story, and I must say I'm as happy as ever to be this close to finally finishing this great Zelda epic. This chapter is 31 pages long on Microsoft Word in 12 font, pretty amazing huh? This was easily the chapter I had most fun typing, and I hope it was the best for you. The next and final chapter will be about the birthday, but that's all I can tell ya. The 4th of July is tomorrow, but I'm still gonna be able to type a little. I might finish the final chapter then, but if not Saturday morning. So look out for the conclusion of the Epilogue of Link's Little Brother: Mirren's Final Battle!!!! And as always pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review!!! 


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